Light in the Darkness
by thequeenstolemyheart
Summary: When Regina Mills is threatened by an increasingly unstable stalker, she enlists the help of Robin Locksley as her private security. Will Robin be able to protect Regina and her son from the man obsessed with her...and protect his own heart in the process? Outlaw Queen.
1. Chapter 1

**Hello all! I'm so exicted to bring you this story! It has been rolling around in my head for some time and finally here it is! I'm going to do my very best to keep updates regular, I'm going for every two weeks. I want to give a huge thanks to my beta Jacqueline, known here as Galxychld, and EJ also known as mauscapade on tumblr. I could not have done this without you both!**

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Private security.

It wasn't exactly his dream come true. His dream come true had been making detective. Police work was where he belonged. It was where he was at home. Finding the bad guy, keeping people safe. That was what he was good at, that was his dream.

He'd lived in Boston since he was nineteen years old. He had never known anything different since coming to this country. He'd come here with a dual purpose: to rescue the sister, Emma, who he hadn't known about until after his mother passed, the sister his father had left to the foster system of this country, and also to become a cop.

Those two things had been his goal, his dream. At the time he'd never imagined making a family or building a life outside of those.

Fate had other ideas, and that other idea was currently sleeping soundly in the back seat.

His son had brought something into his life he'd never really known he wanted. After the passing of his wife he once again found himself raising a child alone and feeling completely lost. Raising a then barely year-old boy alone was quite different then raising a fourteen-year-old girl. There had been sippy cups, feeding times, diapers, vaccines, baby and toddler food, learning to walk, potty training…every milestone his son reached had been new territory for him as well. He smothered a grin. Granted, Emma and her nephew had thrown remarkably similar temper tantrums…

His boy was everything, his whole world. So that May evening as he laid on the cold concrete after a bullet ripped through his chest, his only thought had been of Roland. The terrifying thought filled him that he would be leaving him an orphan. Even if Emma had taken him, as he was sure she would, it wasn't the same thing.

So private security it was. He wasn't thrilled about it, couldn't imagine his life outside of the department that had for so long been his second home, but he had to leave.

His son was too important.

He'd kept his ear to the ground, called all of his contacts who had moved on to other cities, and finally an old buddy from his rookie days came through.

A woman in Winchester, Kentucky, needed private security after receiving some threatening letters. The job paid well and apparently he and his son would be living on a horse farm, to which Roland had cheered with joy. He smiled to himself; at least one of them would be happy.

He wasn't sure how serious the threats actually were. The woman had little communication with him herself. He'd instead spoken with her sister, Mary Margaret Nolan, who was quite concerned and insisted something be done.

He glanced down at the map again before looking back up. How in the hell was he supposed to figure out where he was going when every bloody thing looked the same here? It was farm land for miles. His sister would blame it on his disdain for using GPS, which…yes, that would probably be easier, but in this at least he preferred to be old-fashioned.

He was just about to give in and pull out his phone when he topped a hill and saw it. The brick house was huge and stood on a hill. As he neared the drive he saw the sign over it that announced the name of the farm. Blanchard Hills. The drive went on for what felt like miles. By the time he made it to the house there was a dark haired woman with a pixie cut waiting for him and clutching a file folder to her chest. Her smile was ear to ear. He'd only spoken to Mrs. Mills once and it had been brief. She'd given little information about herself and had instead talked about the arrangements and asked a few questions about his son, but she didn't strike him as the kind to be smiling that big at a complete stranger.

This must be the sister. Mary Margaret.

He glanced back at his sleeping son. He supposed he could just carry him in, but before he'd turned off the engine the woman had rounded the car and was knocking at the passenger window. Raising a brow in confusion, he unlocked the door and she slid into the seat beside him.

"You must be Robin." He nodded and started to open his mouth to answer, but she went on. "I'm Mary Margaret, Regina's sister. I wanted you to stop here first because…well, Regina isn't exactly thrilled about all of this. I thought me coming along with you might make your meeting go a bit more smoothly. Regina's farm is on up the road just a bit."

Robin furrowed his brow. "I thought you all lived on the same farm."

Mary Margaret shook her head. "No…well, yes. It used to be one farm, but after our father died and our mother moved to the city, it was split between Regina and myself. Regina only came to live here a year ago, and wanted to have a home built." She smiled and pointed ahead of them. "You can turn around here. I'll ride with you to Regina's."

The woman was a whirlwind, Robin mused. He did as she said and followed the drive back out to the road.

"You raise horses for racing?" he asked.

Mary Margaret nodded. "Yes. We also breed horses for show, but…" She grinned. "It does look as if we could have a Derby contender this year."

Well, that was impressive. "Really? Are you involved in the training?"

"No." She laughed. "I was a rider. I did a lot of shows when I was younger, even won some awards, but Regina was always better than me," she said, without malice. Robin found that interesting. From his work as a detective, it was generally not that case that one sibling had no apparent envy of the more accomplished sibling. "She's brilliant with them. She just has a way about her."

"Does she train?"

She shook her head and went a bit stoic for a moment. "Not anymore." Her face broke into a smile again. "She runs the business side of the farm. My husband is the trainer. Regina has taken on her own project. It's right up here." She pointed to the right.

The house was large, not as large as the first but large just the same. This one was white and…regal, he supposed would be the proper word. The sign above this entrance read Hope Haven. "Which is what?" he asked.

"Hmm?" Mary Margaret asked confused.

"You said she took on her own project."

"Oh." She nodded again. "She rescues horses. Some have been injured, some neglected or abused. She rehabilitates them. She also opens the farm up three days a week for equine therapy."

"Equine therapy?" he asked.

The brunette smiled proudly and nodded. "For children with special needs. Regina gives riding lessons. It's so wonderful for the kids and good for the horses. She's brilliant at it." She hesitated for a moment. "My sister has a very soft heart underneath it all. She is kind and compassionate… try to remember that when you meet her." She smiled and took a quick glance behind her. "The cute kid sleeping in the back will probably go a long way to getting her to like you."

"She's really that reluctant to have me here?"

"Regina likes her privacy, but she's scared…if she wasn't she would never allow this. She has her son and his safety to think about as well."

Robin nodded.

She held out the file folder she had been holding to her chest. "I brought this so you would better understand what you are dealing with. This is all from…before."

"Before?" he asked, confused.

"Before she moved back here."

"This happened before?" A bit of concern crept in to his mind, and it spilled over into his voice. Mary Margaret flashed a brief grimace.

"Yes. When she lived in Lexington. She was supposed to tell you when she spoke with you."

"She didn't mention it."

Mary Margaret sighed. "It was a several years after Daniel…her husband died. The notes started, then phone calls." She gestured to the file. "There are police reports."

"He followed her here?" His brow furrowed in consternation. It appeared they were dealing with someone much more unbalanced then he originally realized.

"Yes…Now you understand why I insisted she get protection."

"Indeed."

"He attacked her in Lexington. It's the reason she moved back. It's all in the report." She plastered a smile on her face as they came to a stop. "Are you ready?"

Robin nodded even as Roland roused in the back seat, blinking sleepily. "Papa, are we here?"

"That we are, my boy."

Mary Margaret was already climbing out of the car and opening the door for Roland to climb out. "Hello, Roland. I'm Mary Margaret, but you can just call me Mary," she said as she smiled at him.

"I'm Roland, and me and my Papa are gonna live with horses!" he exclaimed.

"In the barn?!" Mary Margaret asked, teasing.

Roland furrowed his brow. "I don't think so." His eyes widened at the thought of living in the barn, and he looked hopefully to his father. "Could we, Papa?"

"I think we will stick to the house, my boy." Robin scooped him up into his arms.

"But living in a barn with horses could be fun!"

Robin jiggled him on his hip. "Until night time when you have to sleep in the hay instead of a nice soft bed."

"Regina is probably out at the stables. It's lesson day."

Robin put Roland on his feet as Mary Margaret led them around to the back of house where he saw a large stable. There were a couple of women in the paddock leading children around on horses. He could hear laughing. As they neared the fence he could make them out a bit more clearly. Two women, one a redhead holding the reigns of a chestnut mare with a dark-haired child mounted on her back, and the other a brunette with very dark hair leading a black horse that looked as if he'd had white paint splattered over him. She wore a wide smile on her face as she looked up to a little girl with Down syndrome mounted on his back "You're doing great, Abby," he heard her say in a smooth voice.

She was…stunning; it was the only word he could think to describe her. Her dark hair blew with the slight breeze of the day around her face. Her deep brown eyes sparkled as she looked up at the rider, and the pride was evident on her face as she smiled up at the little girl who had mastered the day's lesson.

"Regina," Mary Margaret called from the fence.

She glanced up at the sound of her name and the smile on her face faltered when she saw the two of them standing there. He watched as the eyes that had just sparkled moments before went wary as she looked him over. She turned back toward the stable. "Belle," she called and another brunette, but with lighter hair, emerged a moment later. "Could you take over here?"

"Of course." Belle walked to take the reins from her.

"I'll need you and Anna to finish up for me."

"No problem," Belle told her. "We're fine here."

"You're riding brilliantly, Abby," she told the girl again and touched her leg. "Hold your form."

The girl stuck her tongue between her teeth and nodded as Regina walked towards them.

"Regina," Mary Margaret started. "This is Robin Locksley, Robin, my sister Regina."

"Pleased to meet you, Mrs. Mills." Robin held out a hand. Regina studied him for a moment before taking it. Her handshake was firm, but her skin incredibly soft. He cleared his throat.

"Regina," she told him.

"Regina," he repeated, nodding, then gestured to his son. "This is my son Roland."

She offered a smile to the boy. "Hello, Roland. I'm Regina."

"Hi, Gina!" The boy offered her a brilliant smile.

"It's Regina, Roland," Robin told him as Regina ducked under the top rail of the fence and emerged through the middle. She waved him off.

"Gina is fine," she said as she walked past him, but stopped and turned. "For him," she added to clarify.

But not for you she was saying clearly. "Understood."

She walked to Roland and crouched in front of him. "How old are you, Roland?"

"I'm four," he answered, holding up four little fingers. "But I'm going to be five in November."

"That's not so far away then is it?" Regina asked and he nodded. "Do you like horses, Roland?"

"I've never really seen one before…except on TV," he told her. "But it looks like fun to ride them."

"Well, maybe you could learn while you're here," she answered him.

He looked to Robin with wide eyes. "Can I, Papa?"

Robin smiled down at him. "I don't see why not."

Regina looked up at him and the smile she reserved for his son fell from her face as her eyes went wary again. "I suppose I should show you around."

She looked back to Roland, smiling again. "My son Henry is inside working on his homework. He should be close to being finished by now. Would you like to meet him?"

The boy nodded. "How old is he?" he asked as Regina took his hand and began walking, not even sparing a glance to Robin to see if he was following.

"He's ten," she told him. "And he knows all about horses. Perhaps he can teach you a few things."

"OK." Roland skipped happily along while Robin and Mary Margaret followed. The only words she spoke on the way to the house were to Roland, asking him about his favorite things to do and what he liked to eat. Roland chattered on until they were in the kitchen and met with a boy with a mess of brown hair.

"Hey Mom, hey Aunt Mary!" He looked back to his mother. "Just finished my math. Can you check it for me?"

"Of course, sweetheart, just set it on the table. I'll look over it in a little while." She smiled at him. "Henry, this is Roland," she announced, as she gestured to the boy whose hand she was still holding. "And Robin." She nodded her head at him. "They are the people who are going to be staying with us for a while."

"Hi." The boy offered them both a smile and a wave.

"Sweetheart, could you show Roland his room while I talk to Robin and Mary Margaret for a minute?"

"Sure." The boy offered Roland his hand. "I helped Mom decorate your room," he told him as they walked from the kitchen. "You're going to love it!"

"I moved some of Henry's old things into the room Roland will be staying in," she explained. "I also bought a bed with rails, I wasn't sure if he had issues of falling. Henry did at his age."

"Thank you." Robin said surprised. "You didn't have to go to the trouble."

Regina shrugged. "An almost five year old needs a great room," was all she said.

"I know you are reluctant to have us here…" Robin started but she held up a hand to stop him.

"I would rather not talk about any of this before dinner if you don't mind."

"Of course," Robin agreed.

"I'll show you around," she told him.

"Is David in the stables, Regina?" Mary Margaret wanted to know.

"Yes, he's checking out our newest arrival," she answered.

Mary Margaret nodded. "I'll leave you two to the tour."

Once her sister was out of sight, Regina got right down to business. She led him through the house, showing him her office, the formal living room, dining room, and then took him downstairs to see the rec room in the basement. He took notes in his mind of security measures he wanted to address as they went through. Lastly she led him up the stairs to the bedrooms.

"This is Henry's room," she said as she gestured to the left. "Mine is here across the hall." She walked past another couple of rooms which she told him were both guest rooms before coming to the end of the hallway. "I have put you here," she told him over her shoulder as she walked into the room on the right. "You have your own bathroom through there," she pointed before walking back out of the room. "Roland is right across the hall." She walked to the door and knocked lightly before pushing it open.

Roland sat in the middle of a platform bed bouncing excitedly while Henry sat beside him reading to him. There were four large Ninja Turtles on the wall with the city painted in the background.

"Papa, look at my room!" the boy exclaimed from the bed. Robin looked around in awe. There were toys everywhere, books on the shelves, and the huge bed with a staircase that certainly wasn't cheap. This was hardly 'the bed with rails and a few of Henry's old things' she'd described to him in the kitchen.

"I…You did all of this for Roland?" he asked.

She shrugged her shoulders, clearly trying to downplay the enormity of her gesture for his son. "Belle just graduated design school and is good with murals…You mentioned he loves Ninja Turtles on the phone."

Robin just looked at her in shock and she flushed a bit.

"I'm going to go start dinner." She brushed past him and was in the hall before he could say anything else. He turned to follow.

"Mrs. Mills!" He jogged to catch up with her before she made it to the stairs and she turned to him. "You did all of that for a child you don't even know?"

"I told you, it's Regina," she said, a bit impatiently, and then she shrugged. "And it was nothing," she answered. "He is moving to a new place with people he doesn't know, and we have no idea for how long. I just wanted to give him a space that was all his."

"I…" Robin shook his head. "Thank you." He suddenly felt overwhelmed with emotion and swallowed. His boy had been through so much and this woman who was a complete stranger had wanted to make something special for him. "Thank you for doing that for him."

She studied him for a moment before offering the first smile she'd aimed his way. "You're welcome," she said before turning back to the stairs. "I'll have dinner ready in an hour."

* * *

After carrying up the suitcases from the car, Robin sat down to read the file Mary Margaret had given to him.

It had all started nearly three years ago. The police reports stated that she'd thrown the first of the notes away, but as they increased in frequency and became more threatening she'd handed them over to the police.

It had all came to a head after sixteen months when she'd been attacked in her home while her son was at summer camp. She had an alarm system that she'd managed to hit the panic button on before the man had caught up to her. It was lucky she had or things could have turned out very differently. She hadn't seen his face, he'd been wearing a mask, but he'd managed to tie her up before hearing the sirens that caused him to ultimately flee.

"Jesus," Robin muttered as he read through the report.

She'd moved back home and things had been quiet for the last year, until a month ago when the notes started back up. He would need a list of everyone in her life then and now. He had to compare notes. It had started in Lexington, so likely it was someone she had met there. He also needed to go over the house with a fine tooth comb. He'd noted several security risks on his walk through earlier in the day. He needed to go through again on his own a bit more slowly. It wouldn't hurt to have a tour of the property as well. He needed to get an idea of directions a person might come from to get to her home. The last message had been left on her doorstep. The man had approached the house.

They ate dinner together and were joined by Mary Margaret, her son Neal, and her husband David, who had been spending more time close to Regina at the request of his wife. It was clear that she adored her sister and was worried sick.

After their meal the four of them sat around the table having sent the boys off to play as the baby snoozed in his carrier.

Robin cleared his throat. "I would like to tour the property, try and get an idea of what direction people could approach from without being seen."

"There's no one around for miles," Regina answered, frowning. "It's fairly easy to not be seen."

"True, but someone may have noticed something…a car parked off the side of the road, someone new asking around town, a gate disturbed on someone's property…even the smallest things could give us clues. I also took the liberty of walking through your home again. The basement door could use a double-keyed deadbolt, as could the door in your office that leads out to the deck."

"I will call the locksmith tomorrow and we can tour the property in the morning," Regina stated. "I've had a security system installed since we moved in."

"I saw that…and it's a good one. It would probably be a good idea to add some extra security to the windows."

She nodded her head. "I will call them tomorrow as well."

"Mrs. Mills…Regina" he corrected when she leveled him with a look. "I read the report from Lexington. I've seen a few cases like this and…"

"You showed him the report?" Regina shot an angry look to Mary Margaret who glared right back at her.

"He is here to protect you, Regina, he needs to know what he is protecting you from."

"I would have liked to tell him myself."

"It's best that I read the official report," Robin said in defense of her sister. "The police will write it up in detail that I may not get from talking with you, but I would also like to hear it in your own words. I realize your privacy is being violated, and I realize that you don't want me here, but your and Henry's safety is a priority. We have to take every precaution, which is why I need to know everything…even things that you wouldn't think are important. This man is dangerous…"

"You don't think I know that?!" she snapped. "I was the one this happened to! I was the one he attacked and almost-" She cut herself off and took a deep breath. "I know how dangerous he is. That's why you are here, Mr. Locksley."

"And I'm going to keep you safe." He tried to give her a reassuring smile. "And it's Robin."

She only stared at him and he could see the worry and…yes, fear, swirling in the depths of her chocolate eyes. "I'm going to keep you safe," he said again, and then leaned forward slightly to look her directly in the eyes. "But you have to cooperate with me, Regina."

She looked at him for a long moment before taking a deep breath and nodding. "I will, tomorrow. Mary Margaret can take the boys and I will give you a tour of the property and tell you whatever you want to know. I'm tired and I don't…" She sighed and he could see the strain around her eyes. "I don't feel like doing this tonight…please."

"OK," Robin agreed, not wanting to push. "It's been a long day…tomorrow then."

She shot him a grateful look before getting up to clear dishes and muttered a quiet, "Thank you."

* * *

Bed time was quite the adventure, it had taken some convincing to get his son to give up on exploring his new surroundings for the evening to actually lay down and go to sleep, but finally exhaustion won out and he had been out merely seconds after his head hit the pillow. He was feeling fairly exhausted himself by the time he knocked lightly at the door of Regina's study. When he heard her beckon him to come in he pushed open the door and found her sitting on a couch nursing a drink.

"Can I offer you some apple cider?" She gestured to the buffet on the wall. "It's home made."

He smiled but shook his head. "I better not. After the long drive and trying to convince my son that he needs to sleep I'm afraid I might fall asleep where I stand if I were to add alcohol to the mix."

She smiled slightly and gestured for him to sit. "Your son is very sweet," she told him as he sat on the other end of the couch.

"He is." Robin agreed. "Takes after his mother." She smiled at that. "I want to thank you again for everything that you've done to make him feel at home here."

She shrugged as she had upstairs. "I want him to be happy while he's here. I know he's excited to be here, but it may be a bit scary as well."

She didn't want to talk about her stalker tonight, but that didn't mean he couldn't get a bit more information about her. Talking of other things could go a long way to helping her relax around him and be more comfortable divulging the very private parts of her life that he would be asking her about tomorrow. They would be spending a fair amount of time together for the foreseeable future, after all, and it would be better for everyone that she wasn't tense for all of it. "This is quite the place you have here."

She nodded. "It was my father's dream. Horses were his passion. He used to say that one day we would have a Triple Crown winner born on this farm. He insisted that one day there would be a winner trained by Henry Blanchard himself" she smiled softly.

"You didn't follow in his footsteps?"

She shook her head. "I love horses, but training was never my passion. I think he was a bit heartbroken that neither of his daughters followed him into it." She smiled. "But it helped some that David was just as passionate as he was."

"You and your sister are close?"

"Yes," she answered and set her glass on the table beside her. "She annoyed me when we were younger." She smiled and conceded, "Still does sometimes, but yes, we are very close."

"She loves you," he observed.

She smiled. "Yes, which is why I haven't strangled her."

He laughed. "How did you get into equine therapy?"

"It was always something I was interested in. I majored in physical therapy in college and have worked in the field since I graduated, but I always kept up with the research and techniques of equine therapy."

"You and your husband lived in Louisville then right?" When she raised a brow in question he smiled. "Your sister told me on the phone you lived there before Lexington."

She rolled her eyes but nodded. "Yes, we went to college together, U of L. We eloped our senior year."

"Is that how the two of you met? In college?"

She smiled. "No, he worked for my father as a stable hand. My mother was not at all pleased by our relationship."

"Hence the reason you eloped," he said with a grin. He found that he rather liked that streak of independence.

"Yes," she answered with a small grin of her own. She took a breath and the smile fell from her face. "He was killed in a robbery when Henry was three."

"Is that when you moved to Lexington?"

She shook her head. "No. After my father died my mother began making noises about moving to Louisville, as she always enjoyed the city." She raised a brow. "That is when I moved to Lexington."

He laughed again and there it was…another smile from her. Damn, she had a great smile. "So you lived in Lexington for…"

"Less than a year before this all started," she finished for him, already knowing where he was going with the question.

He nodded but seeing the way she tensed when he brought it up he changed the subject. "So the equine therapy, you started that when you came back here?"

She shook her head. "I worked in it a bit before. I partnered with a man who ran a farm just out of Lexington. The benefits to the children were wonderful and it combined two things I enjoy."

"I take it you like children."

She shrugged. "Children are honest. You never have to wonder about their intentions or if they have some ulterior motive."

There was more there but he left it for now, opting to keep her relaxed. In order to do that, he kept the conversation steered towards her job. "Is the equine therapy mostly for the physical side?"

"No, although it is wonderful for balance and muscle control. It also teaches children responsibility, and it can help with socialization, communication, and fine motor skills. There's more to it than just riding. There's a connection, an understanding between the animal and the rider. Horses are very attuned to people's emotions."

He couldn't help but grin at the way she lit up when talking about it. It was as if everything else seemed to fall away and it was just her passion for something she loved.

He wouldn't mind seeing more of this side of her.

She tilted her head and studied him for a moment. "You must have been a good detective."

Robin felt a small pang at the mention of the job he loved. "Why do you say that?"

She shook her head. "You're very good at getting people to talk about themselves without them realizing that is what you are doing."

He laughed again. "Well I can't be that good at it, since you just managed to figure me out."

She looked down and shook her head. "No, I imagine you got all the perps to confess."

"If only." He liked this side of her, the slight teasing.

She sighed. "I should be turning in," she told him. "The day starts pretty early around here." She picked up her glass and moved to the door, and turned to look at him. "Henry has morning chores. He works in the stables before school. How would you feel about me giving Roland a few to do as well? I don't want to overstep any boundaries, but he might feel more at home when he has something to do rather than just sit around all day."

"I think that's a fine idea," he told her, and smiled. "I intended to give him chores when we got here. I agree with you, I think it will make him feel at home, and useful."

"Good," she smiled. "He should feel that way. Goodnight, Robin."

His lips turned up at the corners. "Goodnight, Regina."

* * *

He wasn't what she had expected, she thought as she readied herself for bed. She wasn't sure what exactly it was she had been expecting, but it certainly wasn't a very good looking man with a very visible love for his son. It was clear from the moment he'd stopped her on the stairway that day that the boy was his entire world.

Being a mother herself that was something she understood well and it went a long way towards gaining her respect.

He seemed thorough, and very competent at what he was doing. The fact that he had managed to get her talking this evening, when normally she was a bit wary of strangers, was quite impressive. She'd hadn't felt interviewed but rather that she was getting to know a new acquaintance. He was exactly what she needed, but she also knew that attention to detail would mean that the questions he asked of her tomorrow would not be easy to answer.

The thought of that night…of this man that was doing this to her made her nauseous.

But that was why he was here, so she would answer his questions and afterward have a nice stiff drink and hot bath to settle her nerves.

Even as the thought crossed her mind she knew her nerves wouldn't be settled until this was over. Until the man who was doing this to her was behind bars.

But the thought of Robin here helped. There was a kindness about him, something in his eyes that made him seem trustworthy, and she was not a woman to trust easily. The thought of him here though, that there was someone just down the hall, someone who was here to ensure the safety of her and her son, settled her more then she had managed to settle herself this last month. This man would keep his word. He would protect them. Somehow even knowing as little as she did about him, she knew that she could trust that.

He would be a good fit here in the day to day running of things. So she would tell him what he needed to know so he could figure out who in the hell was doing this and stop them. So he could go back to his life and she could go back to hers.

So this nightmare she found herself living in would finally end.


	2. Chapter 2

**Trigger warning for description of assault/attempted rape.**

 **Thank you to my lovely beta,** **Galxychld without whom I could not do this.**

* * *

"You weren't kidding when you said the day starts early," she heard from behind her in a gravelly voice.

She grinned and without turning moved to the cabinet to take out a mug. "How do you take your coffee?" she asked as she was already pouring.

"A lot of cream, a little sugar," he told her.

She took a moment to add his cream and sugar before turning to him to hand him the cup and paused when she saw him sitting at the island with his head in his hands. He was wearing a sleeveless shirt and his arms were…he had really good arms. She shook herself a bit and set the coffee in front of him.

He looked at the cup, then looked up to her. "Bless you," he said fervently, before picking it up to take a sip.

She shook her head. "You could have slept in a bit. The drive from Boston isn't a short one. You must be exhausted."

"My son is up, I'm up…it's the rule of parenting." He glanced to the dining room where his son and Henry were finishing up breakfast.

"I can keep an eye on him. You should rest a bit more."

"Regina, I'm here to protect you, I can hardly ask for free babysitting."

"You didn't ask," she said with some annoyance. "And it's not as if you can be with me twenty-four hours a day."

He only stared at her.

Her eyes widened. "You are not planning to be with me twenty-four hours a day are you?"

"When you are not here in the house? Yes, I need to be with you. I don't plan on being right on your heels, but Regina, something could happen in a moment and it's my job to make sure that it doesn't."

She shook her head. "So…what…you're just going to follow me everywhere?"

"When you are here in the house you are free to all the space you need to have, as long as I am here with you, but when you're out, Regina…at the stables, the store. You shouldn't be alone." She only stared at him, looking horrified. He sighed. "I know your privacy is being intruded on and I am going to do my absolute best to not be a bother and I don't want to drive you crazy but it's…"

"For my safety" she interrupted in annoyance. She was angry…not at him, but certainly at the son of a bitch who felt so free to invade her life this way.

"I'm told I'm quite easy to get along with," he said mildly, flashing a smile to ease the tension in the room.

Rolling her eyes she muttered "I'm sure" and turned to rinse her coffee mug in the sink. "There's cereal in the cabinet, I didn't make breakfast this morning. I usually don't on Saturdays."

"I don't expect you to cook for me either."

She turned and pinned him with a look. "What exactly do you expect from me?"

He sighed. He knew she was angry at the intrusion on her life, angry and scared. "I expect you to cooperate with me, help me do my job…help me protect you and your boy. Don't go off by yourself without letting me know. Regina…this is a working relationship, but I don't see any reason we can't be friends through it. So maybe you can give me a chance to not only protect you, but to be your friend. I think our time together will go much smoother if you're not constantly annoyed with me."

"You seem to think pretty highly of your social capabilities," she scoffed, but it was said with a slight upturn to her lips.

He laughed and leaned back in his seat. "I have quite the winning personality."

She shook her head and fought back a small smile. "And so modest."

He moved his hands behind his head and watched her. "I predict you already like me."

There were those muscles again, those plus the dimples on his cheeks and the amusement in his blue eyes, a reminder that he was a very attractive man. She found herself wondering what muscles the shirt was hiding beneath it. Yes, she was looking, and why not? she mused. He would be living here for the near future. She might as well get a small bit of enjoyment from it. It had been quite a while since she'd had a gorgeous man sitting in her kitchen. "It's not as if I have much choice."

"True," he conceded. "You are stuck with me for a bit."

"I suppose your adorable son sweetens the deal a little."

He nodded. "Speaking of my adorable son, I was thinking I would like to get him enrolled in a preschool program. Do you know of anything around here?"

She nodded considering. "There are a couple. I think there are a few churches that offer preschool, but there's also a place in town that opened a couple of years ago." She pursed her lips. "I could show you around town on Monday, and we could stop and talk with some of them."

He smiled. "I would like that…thank you."

"Sure," she said softly, and then she stared at him for a moment and began to feel a bit awkward. Yes, she had decided to attempt to enjoy the fact that there was a very handsome man in her kitchen but…what the hell did she do with him? She cleared her throat. "Um…I should probably get the boys dressed so we can get out to the stables." He nodded and started to stand, but she put a hand to his arm. "I'll take care of Roland. Sit down…eat."

"Regina you don't have to…"

"I know I don't, but I'm offering. Eat, finish your coffee. I'll take care of the boys and meet you back here. We can all go to the stables together."

"Do you have chores for me too?" he teased.

"If you're out there, you will likely get put to work." She gave him a cheeky smile.

"Mucking out stalls?" he grinned.

"Probably," she retorted as she raised a brow in challenge.

"Can't wait."

She huffed at his flippant remark, but found herself fighting a small smile. She was looking forward to seeing if he was more than just a pretty face.

* * *

Working on a horse farm was more physical work then he realized, and Regina breezed through it. He was slightly embarrassed that she managed to muck out two stalls by the time he had finished his first one. He glanced back to find her holding some device and explaining it to Roland. She bent to retrieve something else and he couldn't help but watch for another moment.

She had hay on her ass, and a fine ass it was. Her jeans fit snuggly and displayed that particular…asset quite well. She had her hair pulled back into a loose ponytail and her face was makeup free today. He thought she was even more beautiful without it. She let out a laugh at something Roland said that he couldn't quite make out. It was a lovely sound, full and rich, and he found himself smiling that his son was able to pull it out of her despite the situation she currently found herself.

And perhaps it wasn't the best idea to be checking out his new employer, but he had blood in his veins, for God's sake, and she was an incredibly gorgeous woman.

He turned back to his task, feeling a bit proud that he'd managed to catch up with her in mucking out the stalls. (Granted it was only because his son had distracted her, but he would still allow himself this small sense of accomplishment.) The stable was fairly large. It housed ten stalls in all, eight of which were currently filled. They had released most of the horses into the paddock when they first arrived, a task that Roland had taken to with glee. He was already talking about lessons and wondering when he would be ready to ride one.

One of the horses belonged to Henry. Prince was his name, and Regina explained that Henry was fully responsible for his up keep. He was a beautiful black horse with a white stripe down his nose. She'd introduced them to two others, the ones he had seen the day before. Daisy, the sweet chestnut mare that had he had seen riding around one of the children. The other, the one who looked as if there were paint splattered on his back, was Pebbles. The others, Regina had explained, were rescues, who already were or would be placed for adoption once they had been rehabilitated.

"How's it going?" He looked up from his work to see her peering over the stall door.

"Just lovely." He studied her for a moment before gesturing to the stall. "Do you do all of this by yourself?"

"On the weekdays I have Anna and Belle to help me, but on the weekends it's just Henry and I," she answered.

"Seems a lot of work for just two people…one of them being ten."

She grinned. "Wanting to quit already?"

"Never." he grinned back. "Just making an observation. It's actually not bad, although I suspect there will be no need for me to visit a gym while I'm here with you. It's quite a work out."

"You will probably be sore tomorrow morning."

He looked at her in mock offense. "I'll have you know that I am in quite good shape already."

"Yes, I can see that." She said then cleared her throat as her cheeks flushed, a bit embarrassed when he raised a brow at her statement. "But doing this work you will use muscles you never knew you had."

"I'm figuring that out as well."

The smile fell from her face. "Mary Margaret is going to get the boys in an hour. I can take you on the tour of the property then. We can pack a lunch, since it will take most of the day."

Robin's eyes widened. "Most of the day?"

She nodded. "We have 108 acres."

His mouth dropped slightly. "You're kidding." He looked around despite the fact they were in the stables and he couldn't actually see the land. "Who in the hell mows the lawn?"

Her lips turned up at the corners, and to her slight surprise she felt like laughing. "Our landscaper is Leroy, but most of it's wooded. We have several trails in the woods…I assumed you would want to see them all."

He stood and scratched absently at his belly where sweat was running down. "I do," he told her. "I just had no idea the property was so large." He glanced at the horses warily. "I don't suppose we can walk all of that."

She let out a loud laugh, and the sound was surprising…and lovely. "Not if you want to finish by the end of the day." She grinned when he cast another wary glance at the horses. "You don't have to worry, I won't make your first riding lesson a full day trekking through the woods. We can take the ATV."

"Thank Christ."

She laughed again and shook her head, before turning to her next task.

* * *

No, Robin didn't find himself riding the trails with a one thousand pound beast between his legs. The predicament he currently found himself in instead found him with the very fine ass he'd been admiring earlier that morning wedged between them instead.

The perfect round ass of Regina Mills.

After they'd finished in the stables and Mary Margaret had come to pick up the boys both of them had managed a quick shower before heading to the garage that housed the farm's ATVs. He'd assumed they would take the side by side until Regina informed him some of the trails were very narrow and this one would work better. She'd strapped a rolled up blanket and a small cooler on the back rack, the rack he was halfway sitting on and holding on for dear life as she made her way up a steep incline. He tried to give her as much space as the ATV would allow, but with the cooler strapped behind him, it wasn't much, and with every bump he seemed to slide forward. Regina had again pulled her hair into a pony tail that continually blew into his face as they rode. She smelled faintly of apples, something he found quite pleasant, and also a bit distracting because as it was all of his senses were filled now with her.

Perhaps the horse would have been better. He winced as they hit another bump and her ass seemed to settle even more snuggly into his legs. Ok, not better, but certainly safer, despite the fact that he likely would have ended up flat on his back and trampled by a very large animal…yes, still safer.

He cursed himself. He would not…would not lust after his employer…the woman he was here to protect for Christ's sake! What in the hell was wrong with him? In the next few hours she would be sharing with him one of the worst days of her life and he was fighting not to get a hard on while riding behind her on a four wheeler.

Fuck! She was going to fire him. Why did she have to be so bloody gorgeous anyway?

He bit the inside of his cheek, attempting to focus on the land around them, his one saving grace the discomfort of the rack under his own ass. He tried to shift his mind to focusing on his task. What he saw was a security nightmare. There were hundreds of places a person could hide out here. It was nothing but woods for miles. The trails were fairly extensive and it would be easy to avoid detection. According to Regina, their property line backed up to more woods owned by the neighboring farms. It would be impossible to set up security to monitor everything.

"What?" he leaned in after hearing Regina attempt to say something to him.

"There's a clearing up here by the creek," she repeated over her shoulder. "We can stop there for lunch."

"Great." It would certainly be a relief to be off this thing for a while.

When they finally came to a stop he winced as he climbed off the back rack and rubbed at his aching ass and legs. He glanced up to find her removing the blanket from the rack with an amused look on her face.

"What?" he asked.

"Wishing we had taken the horses?"

"If we had you'd likely be waiting for an ambulance about now instead of sitting down to lunch," he told her, removing the cooler as she spread the blanket for them.

She stood with a hand on her hip as a grin spread across her lips. "You could drive for a bit if you would like. The front part of the seat is much more comfortable." He looked at her as if she had two heads and she laughed. "The next stretch we will be riding on follows the creek and is fairly flat. It's a good place to learn. You'll be fine."

"You would literally be putting your life in my hands," he said warily.

"Aren't I doing that anyway?" she said with some seriousness, raising one perfectly sculpted brow.

He looked her straight in the eye and nodded. "I suppose you are," he conceded. "But at least when it comes to security I know what the hell I'm doing." He gestured back to the ATV. "This monstrosity…" He trailed off and left it at that.

"I'll teach you," she told him, that amused smile back on her face. "You'll be fine. You need to learn how to get around the farm anyway, and if you have no intention of riding a horse…this will have to do."

"If you say so." He took a seat beside her on the blanket as she opened up the cooler.

"I hope you like chicken salad. I made some this morning." She pulled out a container with several croissants.

"I do." He chose one. "Thank you."

She nodded. "I packed water and soda."

"Water please," he requested. She handed him a bottle and then took one for herself.

He bit into his sandwich and made an appreciative sound in the back of his throat. "And she's good with food as well. Tell me, is there anything you can't do?"

She have him a wry smile. "I was never a very good dancer, Mary Margaret managed to win several competitions."

"Not you though?" he asked, smiling.

"I didn't have much use for it. I preferred to be outside in the air."

They ate in companionable silence for a while before he spoke again. "Can you give me some idea of where we are in relation to the closest town?"

She nodded and gestured down the creek towards the left. "That way is the road," and then pointed straight ahead. "Town is several miles this way." Her hand swung to the right. "There is a farm quite a ways this way and another on the other side of our property."

"Is there any way we could set up some type of monitor along the trails closest to town?"

"You think he's walking from town?" she asked? "It's a bit of a hike. It would take all night and half of the next day."

"I think it's more likely he has something like this thing," he said as he gestured back towards the ATV. "If what you believe is true and he's someone you met in Lexington, then he's not local. He would need someplace to park his car where it wouldn't be suspicious. He likely parks, has one of these things stashed somewhere and rides in on the trails, far enough away that the neighboring homes can't hear the engine. He would park somewhere along the trail and hike the rest of the way to your home."

She swallowed and shook her head. "Even cars parked in town would be noticed. Everything closes early around here."

"Not if he had a room at a side of the road motel, or parked at a beer joint somewhere."

And yes, just as she'd observed the night before, he was good at his job. She took a drink of water. "Can I ask you something?"

"Of course."

"Why did you leave the Boston Police? You're a good detective. I can see that."

He nodded and took a breath. "Back in May my partner and I were doing a sweep of a neighborhood. We were still in the asking questions phase, didn't even have a suspect yet. Turns out one of the doors we knocked on just happened to be the home of the perpetrator. He panicked when he saw us, open fired. Got me here." He pointed to his left shoulder. "A few inches lower it would have been my heart. I managed to call it in on my radio before I lost consciousness. While I laid there, the only thought in my mind was Roland, and that if I died he wouldn't have either of his parents."

Regina looked down for a moment. "Your partner?"

"Will," he told her, his voice suddenly gravelly. "Pronounced dead on the scene. Best cop I've ever had the pleasure of working with. Left behind a wife and daughter."

She felt tears prick her eyes at the pain she could hear in his voice. "I'm sorry."

He nodded. "After…I wanted to go back, but I couldn't get it out of my mind…what it would mean to Roland if he lost me. He wouldn't have been alone, my sister of course would take care of him, but…"

"It wouldn't be you."

"It wouldn't be me." He nodded. "The thing is…I'm meant to be a cop. It's who I am, and it's all I know. I worked so hard to get where I was, so now that I'm not there anymore, well, I'm still feeling my way a bit."

She understood that as well. It wasn't so long ago she'd had to pick up her own life and start over. "You mentioned you have a sister. Is she still in England?"

He looked at her in confusion for a moment before he realized…yes, his accent! Often it was hard for him to remember he wasn't a native Bostonian. It was there after all that he felt his real life began, at least the good parts of it. "Ah, no, she's actually never lived in England. She's a photographer…a very good photographer, and off in…India, I believe, photographing some archaeological dig. She's brilliant, even managed to get a spread in National Geographic."

She smiled. "You're proud of her."

"Very," he smiled with some affection at the thought of his sister. He missed her terribly, but…she was living her dream and he couldn't be happier about that.

"Have the two of you always been close?"

"Yes…well since we met anyway." She raised her brow in question. "Long story short, I didn't know her until I was nineteen. She's my half-sister through my father. I didn't know about her until my mother passed and I found some letters she had written to my father asking for help. Her mother passed away when she was twelve and she'd wound up in the foster system in this country. Needless to say my father was a real bastard. We fought, I made up my mind to move here and that's how I found myself in a community college in Boston and raising a fourteen-year old girl."

"You took in your fourteen-year-old sister when you were nineteen?" she said with some surprise.

"Well, I couldn't just leave her there with no family and alone. I worked full-time and took classes part-time…we made it work somehow. Not that she wasn't a major pain in the ass sometimes." His lips turned up at the corners. "Still is, come to think of it."

Regina studied him and was almost in awe. This man had taken in his sister and raised her when he'd still been mostly a kid himself. He'd given up the college dream of partying and fraternities in order to give his sister a better life and a chance. It was then she knew she'd chosen the right man for this job. He wasn't only a good cop and a good detective. He was a good man. She swallowed. "You said last night that you had seen a couple of cases like mine…"

"A few."

"And?" She wanted to know.

"And when it gets to the point that yours has…did…that night in your home in Lexington…" He didn't want to scare her more then she already was, but he had to be honest. "He's not likely to stop until he's caught."

She let out a breath. "I keep going over it all in my mind. I keep trying to think of everyone I met around the time the notes started. I keep racking my brain trying to figure out what in the hell I did to make this man think…" She looked up at him when he laid a hand on her arm.

"There is your first mistake," he told her. "You didn't do anything. Regina, people like this man, there is something broken in their minds. They don't think like a normal person. The smallest thing…you saying hello or smiling at him, the way you do with any average person in the course of your day, can set him on a course of delusion. He begins imagining you have an interest and before you know it he believes himself to be in a relationship with you. He begins to think of you as his. He builds up a complete fantasy in his mind and when something happens, when you don't go along with that fantasy, he snaps and becomes violent. The first thing I want you to know, and I want you to remember this, is that none of this is your fault. There is nothing you could have done to stop this from happening, and there is nothing you could have changed."

She looked down at his hand on her arm, and it was strange because essentially he was a complete stranger to her, but somehow she knew that she could trust him. He removed his hand and immediately she felt the loss of the warmth and small comfort it had offered. She let out another long breath and twisted the napkin in her hands. "The first note I received didn't seem like a big deal. It just said that I was beautiful…and there was a single red rose with it. I threw them both away. I've never been a particular fan of roses in any case, and while I did think it was harmless, it still seemed a little…creepy."

"Those messages went on for a while?"

She nodded. "Probably about eight months. The letters he wrote to me began to get longer and more…detailed. He talked about making me his forever, in some he listed things that-" She broke off and swallowed hard, and then looked down.

"Regina" he said quietly, and when she looked up at him with a storm of emotion in her dark eyes, he felt a sudden rush of anger at this bastard who had invaded her life. "You're safe now." He took a chance and laid his hand on hers. He fully expected her to pull away, but to his surprise she studied their hands for a moment, and he felt pleased when she let his hand rest where it was.

"In some of them," she continued, "he listed things he wanted to do to me." She shuddered and continued. "There were periods of time where I wouldn't receive a message from him for a few weeks and I would begin to think he'd given up, but there another one would come. Other times I would receive three of them in a week. I contacted the police when they began to get more threatening. They told me there was nothing they could do unless they knew who he was. The state has anti-stalking laws, but they have to know who the person is and it has to be proven. They suggested I set up a security camera to see if we could get footage of him." She shook her head, "I did, but he rarely left things at my home after that. Instead he began leaving things outside the office door addressed to me, or on my car, on the neighbor's driveway…once he even left something at a client's house. It was waiting on the doorstep when I arrived. He knew everything I did, every place I went, my schedule…where I would be on certain days…everything."

"When did his messages turn violent?" he asked while gently rubbing his thumb over her hand.

"A friend of mine from college…Archie…had moved to Lexington a few months before. He's a therapist and we saw each other at a team meeting for a DCS case we had in common. A little girl who I had been seeing for years and had contacted DCS several times was finally removed from the home. Archie was assigned as her therapist. He asked me to dinner, to get some history on the case and catch up…I hadn't seen him for years. We had a nice evening, and then he took me home and I had him in for coffee. We ended up talking late into the night, catching up on each other's lives, talking about our college days. The next morning I went to the office for a few minutes to get some paperwork, and when I came back out to my car there was another message waiting for me. This time the rose had been spray-painted black and the message was just one word…whore."

"You said Archie had recently moved to Lexington…was it before all of this started?"

"No, after," she answered.

"Regina, I have to ask…"

"It's not Archie." she interrupted him. "He's not interested in me in that way."

"How can you be sure of that? If he came to your house that night expecting a connection or…"

"I'm sure because Archie is gay." she interrupted, and Robin's eyebrows went up. "I was one of the first people he came out to in college and he's engaged to a doctor he met at a conference here in Lexington…hence the reason he moved here."

"I see." Well, there went his first suspect.

"After that night, though, his messages to me were violent. He was angry that I could betray him, angry that I would give someone else what belonged to him and only him. Every letter mentioned betrayal."

"Was there ever anyone in this time that didn't feel right to you? Someone you ran into a bit too often? Someone who seemed to know a bit more about your life then they should?" he asked.

"I have been over and over it my mind…I can't think of anyone I met just before this started happening that could be…I've racked my brain, Robin. I honestly have no idea."

He squeezed her hand gently. "Can you tell me about that night? Everything you saw and heard that night is important."

She shook her head while she released his hand and wrapped her arms around her knees. "But that's the problem. I didn't see his face…I have nothing to offer there."

"His build, his voice…all of it is important, Regina. His face is helpful, yes, but we can certainly narrow down the possibilities with anything else you can remember. Can you walk me through it?"

She licked her lips and took in a breath.

"Henry had gone off to camp the day before. It had been a long day. I came home like I always did, locked the door behind me and turned off the alarm."

"Where was the alarms system located?"

"The living room wall, next to the kitchen."

"What happened next?" He attempted to read her face, but found her expression too stoic to reveal anything.

"I went into the kitchen. Like I said, it had been a hard day. I wanted a glass of wine. He came up behind me while I was pouring. He grabbed me from behind…I fought, I kicked, tried to make him lose his grip on me. When he stumbled I turned and hit him with the wine bottle, then I ran. I hit the panic button on the alarm on my way to the door. I was pulling the door open when he caught up to me, and that time he got my hair with one hand and lifted me. I was screaming, fighting to get my arms free…I…it all happened so fast. I can't remember everything, how it all happened but somehow he'd managed to get me down the hall and into the bedroom."

She was trembling, and Robin found himself desperately wanting to take her in his arms and comfort her. But aside from the unaccountably strong reaction, he also knew, from the many witnesses he'd interviewed as a cop, that she would more than likely be more frightened than helped by doing that. So he stilled his impulse and continued the questions in a gentle, steady tone.

"Was he large? Did he speak?"

She shook her head. "Not yet. He was…average height, I'm pretty sure, but strong. He pinned me to the bed. He had…He had brought rope with him, and he pulled it from his pocket. He was talking, but I was screaming…it was dark and I just kept screaming…" Her eyes were wide and haunted, and Robin inwardly cursed the man that had done this to her.

"Regina," he said in a soothing voice and pulled her from the memories for a moment. "Can you focus on what he was saying? His voice?"

She shook her head and rubbed at her wrists as if to erase the marks that were no longer there. "He…told me something like…we were meant to be together and he was going to show me, and then my hands were tied to the headboard…I couldn't move and he was…it was dark, just shadows, he had a mask and it was dark and his hands were…he was touching me." Her breathing increased and she rubbed harder at her wrists. Robin dared to gently grasp one hand, his fingers under hers, and tugged slightly to bring her focus back to him.

"You're safe now, Regina…you are safe here," he said softly. "I need you to focus on his voice, only his voice."

She looked at him, searched his eyes and saw strength there…felt the strength of his fingers with hers, the gentle strength with no feeling of possession…she was safe, she told herself, she was safe in this time and with Robin. She breathed in slowly and exhaled, and did it again. She was safe. She closed her eyes and listened. "He's talking softly, saying he loves me, that I will see that I'm his, I will always be his."

"Have you heard his voice before?" Robin prodded gently.

"I…" She shook her head but kept her eyes closed and focused on her breathing. _"I love you Regina…I have always loved you."_ And that voice…she'd…where had she heard his voice? She took in a hitching breath. "Yes, I've heard his voice before."

"Can you place where?"

She shook her head. _I have always loved you, Regina_. She bit the inside of her lip. "I don't know…but it's familiar. I know I've heard it before." She opened her eyes and looked at Robin again. "He said he's always loved me."

Robin nodded and that statement alone told him something. "What happened next?"

"Nothing…he stopped. I heard the sirens." She shook her head. "He said we weren't finished and then he was gone."

"Thank you for telling me Regina," he said quietly. He let go of her hand, and she nodded.

She then shook her head again, squinting in the sunlight, the bright light of the day contrasting the darkness that has continually tried to overtake her since this all began. "I don't know what good it did. I never saw his face, and can't remember where I heard his voice. I'm not sure what you know now that you didn't know from those reports."

"In the reports it was never stated that he said he has always loved you. This isn't someone you met just before this, Regina, but I will wager someone you have known for quite a while," he explained.

And somehow that was even more disconcerting…someone she has known for a while. "I know a lot of people. I'm not sure how that helps."

"It helps because we have a place to start. Eliminating strangers, bringing it down to men you know, helps a great deal. And once we can cross out those who could be accounted for at the time, we will be even closer to finding him," he said, and chanced placing his hand gently on her arm again. "We are going to get him."

She shook her head and looked back out over the creek, but again let his hand stay where it was. "We should probably be heading back. There are still a couple of trails to see."

"Ok," he agreed and stood. He offered a hand to help her up, and after a moment's hesitation she took it and he pulled her to her feet. "I will keep you and your boy safe, Regina, that is a promise," he told her again, but this time his words carried something deeper, something that felt more like a vow.

She searched his eyes and saw the honesty there…the truth of his words… and his determination that he would. "Since this all started it's felt like there is this…cloud of darkness that has followed me everywhere I go. It's always there, lurking. I just want it to be over."

"It will be…soon. We will figure it out together."

She nodded and watched as he bent to pick up the cooler. She didn't know why, but she trusted him fully. He would keep his word. He would keep her and Henry safe, and if anyone could manage to figure out who was doing this it was him. He was good at his job. That she could see, and so for the first time in over a year she felt the beginnings of hope blossom.

They both agreed to forgo his ATV lesson for today. She was no longer feeling in the teaching mood and Robin was anxious to get back and document his thoughts from the day. On the ride back to the house he didn't have the problems he'd had on the way out. Instead he found himself overwhelmed with fury for the man who had done this to her. For the man who had tried to snuff out the light of this beautiful and vibrant woman who had dedicated her life to helping children. She had a tough exterior…he suspected that there were many other things in her life that made her learn to be cautious with people aside from only this. He was thankful and honored she was allowing herself to trust him. He knew it wasn't something she did easily. What he saw when he looked at her was a kind, generous woman who simply wanted to live her life and no longer be afraid.

And that he could do, would do. He would make sure with absolute certainty that the darkness that haunted Regina Mills would be chased away. He would do whatever he had to do to get the son of a bitch who had tried to take her choice, her freedom and her spirit.

* * *

 **Feel free to message me on tumblr, thequeenstolemyheart, if you would like to discuss or ask questions and as always reviews are appreciated!**


	3. Chapter 3

The next two weeks passed without incident. Robin and Roland quickly adapted to the routine and it was as if nothing had been interrupted. Regina was surprised how quickly both had adapted to the pace of the farm. She expected Roland to get used to things quickly. Kids, especially kids as young as him, tended to be flexible. She was surprised, though, how quickly Robin had blended in and actually become a help in the day-to-day running of things.

She'd told him there was no need for him to help in the stables, but he insisted. He said he needed to feel useful here and that she understood. There was nothing worse than feeling in the way. So every morning he and Roland helped with the morning chores. Roland had begun preschool and the friendly boy with one of the most adorable smiles she had ever seen was quickly making friends. He'd also started riding lessons and was doing quite well.

Henry, for his part, seemed to like both of them, although her son's constant questions about why they needed extra security were getting a bit hard to handle. She hadn't wanted to worry him. She'd never gone into what had happened in Lexington. He knew someone had attacked her, he knew she had been hurt…He knew the person who had done it was the same person who had been leaving messages for his mother. She didn't want to worry him further, so when she'd received the message here at their new home she didn't tell him about it. He was a ten year old boy…her baby, and she wanted him to have a childhood. She didn't want him to live in the constant fear that she herself was forced to endure.

So her answer to Robin being here was that she simply wanted to be on the safe side. She just wanted to make sure they would be safe here and it would be temporary. As soon as she felt sure they were safe again it would go back to being just the two of them, but she knew her son…and she wasn't sure he was fully buying it.

As for Robin, she'd never expected to actually like him. She'd assumed having him around would be an annoyance, and well…sometimes that smirk did annoy her, not to mention the cocky attitude. There were times he could be absolutely infuriating, but in almost all those times he somehow flipped things on her and she ended up amused.

How in the hell did he do that?

Mostly, though, he'd become what could almost be considered a friend. He was helpful, and that she never expected.

The best part about all of it was that there had been no messages since he had arrived. Granted, it had only been two weeks, but she couldn't help but breathe a small sigh of relief that perhaps it was over. She knew better then to get her hopes up entirely, considering the man had waited over a year while she was in the process of having this home built before contacting her again, but maybe this is what it took. Maybe hiring full time security had been the answer to keep her stalker at bay.

Now she would just have to hire him full time for…forever. Surprisingly, the thought was not as horrible as she'd imagined it would be.

She glanced down at her phone when it buzzed on the desk. She'd come to her study after dinner in a desperate attempt to get some paperwork done, but found her mind wandering endlessly. She picked up her phone to view the latest message and let out a small huff. Her mother, again, wanting to know why Regina wasn't returning her calls. She typed out with a bit more force then necessary that she was in the middle of something and would see her this weekend, and the thought of the weekend to come created knots in her stomach.

It was a yearly event, held at none other than Blanchard Farms. It had become a tradition her father had started years ago. A party for those in the racing industry, where they could wine and dine and cater associations. She hated these things…really hated them. She would much prefer spending a quiet evening with her son to socializing with the snobby people who would be attending this party. There were very few who would be present she actually liked, but she felt the obligation to her father to attend. This farm had been his dream, and being in this industry was something he'd worked so hard for, so she needed to be there in his honor. Representing Blanchard Farms as his daughter would have been important to him.

But it didn't mean she had to like it.

Then there was the problem of Robin. Her stalker wasn't exactly common knowledge. She hadn't even informed her mother that he was back, and had threatened Mary Margaret within an inch of her life to keep it quiet. She shuddered when she thought about her mother's reaction to all of this when it first began. She'd blamed her; obviously Regina had done something to lead this man on and make him believe she harbored feelings for him. Her stomach turned at the thought.

None of the people that would be there this weekend were local. Her situation would be common knowledge to no one there and she preferred to keep it that way. The last thing she wanted was to be whispered about behind her back over something that she had no control.

So how was she supposed to explain Robin skulking about as if he were Kevin Costner to her Whitney?

She dropped her head into her hands and massaged her temples, as the slight headache that had been brewing most of the day began growing in earnest.

She glanced up at the light knock on the door. "Come in."

Robin poked his head in the door. "Sorry to bother you."

"It's fine…I wasn't managing to get anything done any way." She sighed and gestured for him to sit. "Did you get Roland tucked in?"

"I did," he answered handing her a piece of paper and sitting. "Roland asked me to give that to you. He forgot when he got home from school." He grinned. "He was too excited for his lesson I suppose."

She glanced down at the child's drawing to find two stick figures, one larger than the other, on what she assumed to be a horse. It had four feet and a long tail, but the rest could've belonged to several members of the animal kingdom. She couldn't help the smile it brought to her face, especially the backwards "J", likely representing hair, on the larger figure that she thought was probably her.

"That's you and Roland on Pebbles," he explained. "You have made quite the impression on my son."

She grinned down at the picture. "The feelings mutual." She stood from her desk and walked to the bulletin board where she had pinned up several other children's drawings.

"Did Henry do those?"

"Some," she answered, and pointed to one of the more skilled drawings on the board. "Others where done by some of my clients." She pointed to one that appeared to be a little girl with a huge smile on her face with several horses in the background. "Abby did this one." She had mentioned that one in particular, knowing Robin had developed a fondness for the girl.

He smiled and stood to stand next to her studying the drawing. "Not bad," he smiled with some affection. He'd quite grown to like the sweet girl who seemed to radiate sunshine everywhere she went.

Regina looked at him with some amusement. "I think she's developed a bit of a crush on you," she said, and looking at him as he smiled at the children's drawings it was easy to see why. Damn, he was handsome. Regina had been around children with special needs most of her adult life, and she'd seen very often the way people would brush them off as if they had nothing important to say. Robin, on the other hand, displayed patience and listened carefully to every word, even when those words weren't always easy to understand. He had a gentleness about him, a kindness that went far beyond being a friend to her in her time of need.

"Aren't I the lucky one then?" he grinned at her.

She couldn't help but return the smile. "I wouldn't be too flattered. Abby likes men."

He let out a laugh that had her smile growing fuller. "So I'm nothing special then, really."

That smile grew softer. "I think you are." And she blinked. What? Did she just say that? She felt her cheeks grow warm and hoped he didn't notice the blush.

He did notice and he found it charming. He found a lot about her charming, actually. "Thank you."

She simply nodded, feeling very awkward, and turned to move back behind her desk. He watched as she picked up her phone, rolled her eyes, and tossed it back down. He'd noticed over the last few days that she seemed tense but couldn't be sure why. Her stalker had yet to make his presence known since he'd arrived here and he knew that had been a relief to her. He also knew that she hoped that meant all of this was over, but from experience Robin knew that wasn't likely to be the case. The man had waited, biding his time for over a year. It wasn't over, and it wouldn't be until he was caught. He was simply gauging his ground, figuring out when to make his next move.

He thought perhaps it was the upcoming trip to the state fair that was stressing her out. Blanchard Farms had a few horses in the show, but Regina had a booth to raise money for Hope Haven. It had to be a bit stressful leaving at such a time when her life was already in such upheaval.

"Regina," he started and she looked up at him. "Forgive me if it's none of my business, and you can certainly feel free to tell be to bugger off if you like, but is everything alright?"

She raised a brow in question.

"I just thought perhaps the trip to the fair had you feeling a little stressed. If that's it I don't want you to worry. You will be kept safe." He studied her for a moment as she just stared at him. "It's just over the last few days you've seemed a bit tense."

Had she? Normally she was better at hiding her emotions then that. She watched as he studied her and yes, she often found herself forgetting that he was a detective trained to study people and their moods. She huffed a small breath. Another annoying thing about him to be added to her list. "It isn't the fair…It's this party this weekend," she answered and frowned. "I hate these things."

"So don't go." He shrugged and sat back down in front of her.

"It would have been important to my father."

So it was important to her, he surmised.

"I actually wanted to talk to you about that." She swallowed. "I was…it's just that no one at the party will know anything about…" She gestured between them. "All of…this."

"Ok." He urged her to go on.

"I'm just not sure that you being there and following me around…" She trailed off and bit her lip before continuing. "I don't know how to explain that without explaining why."

He thought he knew where she was going with this and he understood, but her safety was still his primary goal. "Regina, I need to be there with you. If I am right and this is someone who has been in your life for some time, he could be there."

She nodded quickly. "I know." She wanted him there; the thought of being in a room with all of those people, one of them possibly being the man who…she just wanted him there. "I just was thinking we could come up with a story…to explain. Maybe umm…" she let out a breath and just decided to say it. "Maybe you could come with me as…" She nervously twisted her hands together.

He raised a brow and his lip turned up at the corner. "Your date?"

She swallowed and nodded. "We could just say you are a friend in town and…" She trailed off, finding no way to explain it more. When had she become so incredibly bad at this whole "man and woman acting like normal humans" thing? Granted, it had been a long time since Daniel passed and there had been no one serious since then, but she had managed at least one casual relationship. With Robin she just felt like an awkward teenager who had never been in the presence of an attractive man in her life.

"Wouldn't people from town know I am living here?"

She shook her head quickly. "No one local will be there. The only ones there who will know are David and Mary Margaret. It's people in the horse racing industry and we are the only farm in the area who-" She cut herself off and shook her head. She was babbling. She cleared her throat. "No one will know."

He nodded considering. "That could work," he said thoughtfully before giving her that infuriating grin. "So tell me, Mrs. Mills, just how besotted with your handsome date are you?"

She blinked and her heart rate picked up a bit before she realized he was being a cocky ass, as per his usual. And she felt comfortable enough with him to tease him back. "Not at all, actually," she retorted, and gave her own smirk. "As a matter of fact he's been begging me to go out with him for months. I just finally took pity on him."

His grin widened. Gods, he enjoyed her. "I never beg."

She raised that perfectly sculpted brow. "Until you met me."

He let out a laugh and conceded. "Ok, so I am the love sick puppy and you are the beautiful queen who managed to capture my heart."

She nodded. "That is the story." Finally she couldn't hold it in any longer and she let out a laugh. "Actually…" She drew the word out. "My thought was we could go as friends. You're new to town and you work private security, as close to the truth as possible. We just leave out who you are actually working for."

"Friends." He sat back, considering. "So that would mean no pretend making out on the dance floor to convince everyone our relationship is legit." He clucked his tongue and shook his head. "Seems a waste."

She laughed and clasped her hands in front of her. "I'm not really one for PDA in any case."

He let out a put upon sigh, making her laugh again. "Friends it is then."

She smiled sincerely. "Thank you."

* * *

The next day Robin found himself in the new routine that he had grown accustomed to. He and Regina now rode together to pick up both kids from school, then came back to the stables while she did therapy with the children. Robin, in the meantime, helped to groom and exercise the horses who were recovering, basically just leading them by the reigns and keeping them mobile. He had yet to get on one, despite Regina's urging and her teasing that the children were brave enough to do it. Yes, maybe he did have a bit of a control issue, but he had a hard time picturing himself putting his life in the hands of an animal that could throw and trample him to death at any moment.

He glanced up when he heard laughing to see Regina talking with a woman who he believed was Abby's mother. He couldn't help but admire his client when she was out here, in her element. Well…if he was honest, he couldn't help but admire her most of the time. She was absolutely one of the most beautiful women he'd ever laid eyes on. Over the last few weeks of getting to know her, he'd only grown fonder of the gorgeous brunette with those deep brown eyes he often felt he could gaze into for hours.

It wasn't only her beauty that managed to mesmerize him several times a day, but also her spirit, her drive, and her heart. Mary Margaret had not been exaggerating on the day they met that Regina had an incredibly large and generous heart.

"You like Regina!" He heard from behind him and turned to find none other than Abby, outfitted with her ridiculously adorable riding helmet, grinning at him.

"Of course I like Regina," he said smoothly. "Don't you?"

"No no no," she said as she held up a finger and wagged it, smiling ear to ear. "You want to kiss Regina."

Robin let out a huff of a laugh. "Whatever would give you that idea?"

The twelve year old put a hand on her hip. "You think she's pretty."

And how in the hell was this kid basically reading his mind? He shrugged and attempted to play it cool. "She is pretty."

Abby laughed and clapped her hands together. "You want to marry her!"

Oh, holy shit. "I think you're jumping the gun a bit there, sweetheart," he laughed. "And," he added, "You really ought to keep that cute nose of yours in your own business."

He tapped said nose, causing her to laugh, then she blinked up at him. "If you don't want to marry Regina, you could marry me!"

Robin grinned down at her. "But then I would have to wait a very long time until you're old enough."

The girl shrugged. "I don't mind."

He grinned and shook his head. "I bet you don't."

The girl smiled and bounced on her heels. "I still think you want to kiss Regina."

Apparently she wasn't so easily diverted. "How about you just let me worry about who I want to kiss, huh?"

The girl shrugged then glanced up when her mother called for her. "Gotta go!" She waved as she skipped off, leaving Robin grinning behind her. He watched as she ran to her mother and Regina, and then to his utter horror pulled on Regina's arm until she stooped so she could whisper in her ear. Regina looked his way with a raised brow. Shit. He tried a small grin and shrugged before deciding to make himself scarce.

He quickly walked back into the stable and spotted Henry at the end grooming his horse. He looked up and studied him with a question in his eyes. It was the same look he had received from him every day since he arrived here. He changed course and made his way to the boy who quickly looked away and went back to his task.

"How is Prince today?" Robin asked him, and Henry looked up.

"Good," he answered and continued brushing.

"You planning on taking him for a ride?"

The boy shrugged. "I doubt it," he said it a bit wistfully. "I have a lot of homework and Mom won't let me until it's done."

"First things first, I suppose."

"I guess." Henry sighed and seemed to concentrate hard on one spot on the horse's neck. "He's back isn't he?"

"What?" Robin straightened a bit, Henry's shot in the dark catching him totally off guard.

"The man who hurt my mom," Henry clarified. "He's back."

Robin glanced around, hoping to find Regina in the stables. She'd been clear to him she didn't want Henry to worry; therefore, she didn't want him to know.

"It's why you're here." Henry finally looked at him.

"I'm here because your mother wants to make sure that they two of you are safe," Robin answered cautiously.

"You don't have to lie to me," Henry told him. "I'm old enough to handle it. He's back."

Robin sighed. "Henry, perhaps you should talk to your mother…"

"I have talked to her!" Henry snapped "And she doesn't want to tell me because she thinks I'm just a kid but I know." The boy looked at Robin with serious eyes. "I remember what she looked like when she got messages from him before. She would look afraid, and she looked that way before you got here. That man wants to hurt her again."

Robin sighed. "Henry, the only thing that I can tell you right now is that I will not let anyone who wants to hurt your mother get near her. That is a promise."

Henry studied him with glassy eyes from tears that he refused to let fall. "Why won't he just leave her alone?"

Robin gently brought a hand to the boy's hair. He didn't feel it was his place to tell Henry something Regina clearly didn't want him to know, but…he needed to find her. She needed to talk to him. "Tell you what, how about you finish up with Prince and we can talk later if you want to?"

Henry stayed silent but nodded. Robin made his way back out to the paddock and spotted Regina talking with Belle. It was the latter who looked up and greeted him with the cheerful smile he had learned she nearly always sported on her face.

"Sorry to interrupt ladies, but I was wondering if I might have a word?" He looked to Regina who raised a brow.

"I need to get back to work anyway," Belle stated, and after telling Regina they would finish up later walked back into the stable to greet the next client.

Regina looked at him, amused. "If this is about Abby's startling revelation…"

Robin shook his head, allowing a small grin. "Whatever she told you I can assure you that she was misrepresenting the conversation." He grew serious. "Unfortunately this subject isn't nearly so cheerful." He watched her face drop and immediately laid a hand on her shoulder in reassurance. "It isn't your stalker…at least not directly. It's Henry. Regina, I think he's managed to pick up on much more than either of us realized."

She swallowed. "How do you mean?"

"He knows your stalker is back. He asked me directly. He said he knew you weren't telling him, because you didn't want him to worry, but…he knows."

Regina's heart nearly stopped as she looked down at her hands. "I suppose I shouldn't be surprised. My son is very intuitive."

Robin gave her shoulder a squeeze and a reassuring smile. "I have found in my time as a detective that children are much more attuned to things then we realize. I didn't tell him anything, I didn't feel it was my place but…"

"I need to talk to him." She shook her head in frustration. "I was a fool to think he wouldn't realize…"

"Hey." He turned her and laid his hand on her other shoulder so he could look her in the eyes. "You were doing what you thought was best. All parents want to shield their kids from the horrors of the world, and speaking as a parent myself, all of us make mistakes sometimes. Don't beat yourself up, Regina, you are a terrific mother."

"I don't even know what to say to him." She searched his eyes, wishing she could find an answer there.

"You will. Talk to him. He just wants to know the truth. You will find the right thing to say that will let him know what's going on without scaring him. Trust yourself."

She gave a quick nod and he gave her shoulders an encouraging squeeze. "Thank you," she said it quietly as she turned toward the stables.

He gave her a reassuring smile as she went.

* * *

She felt as though her heart had dropped into her stomach when she realized that all of this time her son had known the truth, that her stalker was back. She'd wanted to keep it from him, wanted to allow him to just be a child and not live in fear.

Oh God, how much fear had he lived in without her knowing, without her support because she was fool enough to believe he would just buy what she was telling him. He wasn't a baby anymore and he was smart…so smart. She should have realized, or maybe she just didn't want to. Maybe she didn't want to give her stalker that much credit, and concede that he wasn't only terrifying her, but her son as well.

How had she made such a mess of this?

She went into the stable only to find he'd already finished and left. She made her way to the house attempting to control her breathing and keep herself calm. She may have to admit to her little boy that this son of a bitch was back, but she didn't want him to take it on his shoulders. She didn't want him to be afraid.

She entered the house through the back door and called out to him. After a moment she heard him answer that he was doing his homework. She immediately walked to the stairs and made her way up, taking deep breaths to steady her nerves. Henry certainly didn't need a near hysterical mother on top of everything else. She pushed open his door to find him at his desk.

"Hi," she said with a small smile on her face when he looked up.

"Hey," he replied in a quiet voice, but there was no smile on his face, just questions. Oh, God, why didn't she see this before?

She swallowed. "Robin said you were asking some questions."

"You wouldn't tell me the truth, so I thought I would see if he would," Henry stated flatly.

Shit. "Sweetheart," she began, and let out a breath. "I'm sorry. I was trying to protect you and in doing that I didn't realize how much you really saw. I didn't want you to worry."

Henry looked her straight in the eye. "He's back, isn't he?"

She took another breath and nodded. "Yes, he is."

"What does he want? Why won't he leave you alone?"

She shook her head and sat down on the bed. "I don't know." He continued to look at her with questions storming in his young eyes. "I really don't, Henry. He believes he loves me, but…"

Henry shook his head. "You don't try and hurt the people you love."

"I know," she agreed. "Something is broken in him, Henry. He…he became obsessed with me somehow and he believes it to be love, but that is the farthest thing from what love really is."

Henry continued to study her and his eyes shone with tears. "Is he going to try to hurt you again?"

Regina felt her own eyes well up despite trying so very hard to keep from being emotional, and she stood to take Henry's hand, urging him to stand and move to sit next to her on the bed. When he settled beside her she wrapped her arm around his shoulders. "He might try," she told him truthfully, "but that is why Robin is here. To stop him if he does."

"What if he can't?" The first tear fell.

Regina wiped it away with her thumb. "He will." She had to believe that. "Henry, Robin is very good at his job. He was one of the best detectives on the police force in Boston. I checked. If anyone can figure out who is doing this and stop them…I fully believe that he is the one who can do it."

"You really think so?"

"I absolutely think so. If I didn't he wouldn't be here. Didn't he tell you that too?"

Henry nodded. "He did, and I believe that he's going to try his best, but...I don't want that man to hurt you." More tears followed and she hugged him tight to her. "I don't want to lose you."

"You're not going to lose me, my sweet boy." She kissed his head then pulled back to look at him with her hands on either side of his face. "I plan to be around for a very long time."

Henry swallowed and nodded. "I love you."

She smiled fully. This boy right here was her whole heart, her world. She felt a small pang that he was growing up too quickly. Only yesterday, it seemed, he had been learning to walk. "I love you too." She brushed at his tears with her thumbs again and gave him a smile.

He sniffed. "Mom?"

"What, baby?"

"Do you think we could watch movies in your room tonight?"

She smiled. It had been a tradition when he was little. The first time he'd asked if they could eat pizza in her big bed and watch a movie, she'd heard her mother's voice in the back of her mind saying just how uncivilized that was. She'd immediately said yes. They would stay up watching a movie until Henry could no longer keep his eyes open and would fall sound asleep, cuddled to her side, and that was true happiness. It had been a while since he'd asked. "I would love that."

"I haven't finished my homework," he told her.

She considered for a moment and shrugged. "Tomorrow is Saturday."

"But you always say…"

"I know what I always say, but maybe this once we can make an exception."

He grinned. "Can we watch all the Star Wars movies?"

She laughed. "I don't know about all of them…"

"The originals?" he tried.

"Two."

He huffed but conceded. "Ok," and looked back up at her. "Just the two of us?"

She nodded. "I can't think of a better way to spend my Friday night."

* * *

She woke the next morning with her son cuddled to her side and took a moment to just hold him. He was growing so fast and it wasn't often she had the opportunity to do this anymore. She stroked his hair gently as he snored softly by her side and felt another pang of guilt, but this time about leaving him tonight. The plan had been for Henry and Roland to stay with Belle this evening while she and Robin attended the party from hell, but maybe she should stay. After her conversation with Henry last night, maybe now wasn't the time to leave him. Her father would have understood and would have wanted her to put Henry first.

The boy in question cracked open an eye to see his mother studying him. "Ugh…Mom, you're being weird," he slurred in a sleepy voice.

It caused her to let out a chuckle. "How am I being weird?" she wanted to know.

"You're watching me sleep like I'm a baby."

"You'll always be my baby," she replied, causing him to roll his eyes and flop his face into the pillow.

"Mom," he whined out and looked back up at her. "I'm going to be in middle school next year! Middle schoolers don't cuddle!"

There was that pang again. She wished she could just freeze time and stay just like this forever. "Well, you're not in middle school yet, are you?" She hugged him tighter, teasing. "And you are never too old to cuddle with your mother."

He narrowed his eyes. "Says who?"

She laughed. "Mothers everywhere."

He groaned but allowed himself to be pulled closer and buried his head in her chest. "Just don't do it in front of anybody, ok?"

"I promise." She grinned even though he couldn't see her face. "Only at your next sleepover in front of your very dearest friends." She tickled his side at his horrified face, and he couldn't help but to let out a loud laugh.

He pulled back and propped himself up on his elbows so he could look at her. "What time is Belle coming to get me and Roland?"

She attempted to straighten his mess of hair. "The plan was for her to be here by four, but I was thinking maybe I might stay here with you instead of going tonight."

"Why?" He wanted to know.

"I just don't want you to worry," she told him.

He grinned. "You just don't want to go."

"Don't be ridiculous." He gave her a pointed look that she was fairly sure he had been on the opposite end of several times from her own face. "Ok, I don't want to go, but after our talk last night I just wasn't sure you would want to be away from me."

He bit his lip. "I'll be OK, and Robin will be with you so I know you'll be safe. Besides, Belle said we could get pizza!"

She pulled back and eyed him. "You just had pizza last night!"

He gave her that lopsided grin that she adored. "You can never have enough pizza."

She laughed and shook her head. "Well, far be it for me to stand in the way of yet another pizza night." She laid a hand on his face. "We should probably get up and moving. We have some hungry horses to feed."

"Can we have donuts for breakfast?" he wanted to know.

"Nope." She laughed at his fallen expression. "If you are having pizza two nights in a row, you are eating healthy the rest of the day."

He flopped backwards in a dramatic groan and Regina took the opportunity to wallop him with a pillow. He looked up at her, grinning, grabbing one of his own, and what harm could it be to take a few more minutes to start their day?

* * *

They seemed better this morning, Robin thought to himself later that evening as he straightened his tie. Henry had seemed happier and had been a bit more talkative. Robin suspected the boy had just needed some assurance that his mom would be safe, which made perfect sense. Much like he and Roland, Regina was the only parent Henry had left. He had to be worried and the fear of the unknown likely made things much worse.

The boys had been excited at the prospect of a pizza party at Belle's. She apparently was a regular sitter for Henry and the young boy adored her. It hadn't taken Roland long to take a liking to her as well as he spent time in the stables with her.

He stood back from the mirror and hoped he looked decent enough. He owned a few suits from all of the times he'd had to testify in court, but according to Regina the people who would be at this party had money, and several tended to be a bit snobby. He figured most of them would be wearing Armani, or whoever the hell was popular now. He could only hope he didn't stand out like a sore thumb, but he supposed if Regina didn't seem to mind then he wouldn't either. He'd never been particularly worried what others thought of him, but he was aware enough to know he would very likely be out of his element this evening.

He made his way downstairs to wait for Regina. He walked to the kitchen and pulled a bottle of water from the fridge. He was just taking a swig when he heard her heels clicking on the tiles and turned towards the sound.

And he nearly choked at the vision in front of him.

Until this point he had only seen her in in the ass hugging jeans and plain tees that she typically wore for a normal day on the farm, with little to no makeup and her hair pulled back from her face, and in those moments, when he found himself gazing at her, she was one of the most beautiful women he'd ever had the pleasure of looking at. The vision that currently stood in front of him, however, was something else entirely.

She was radiant. She wore a deep blue jewel toned dress that was overlaid with lace. The dress wrapped around her body and showed off those delicious curves in a way that made his mouth water. The back dipped slightly below the knee, but the front wrapped around in just the right way to show a hint of smooth tanned skin just above her knees. She wore her hair down. It was shiny and smooth and fell just past her shoulders, framing her beautiful face, and he had the overwhelming urge to run his hands through the silky dark strands. Her face was made up and it gave her eyes a heavy and sensual look. And that mouth…the mouth young Abby had teased him about wanting to kiss that very morning was painted in a deep, he supposed it could be called burgundy (he was never very good with colors and he was quite sure there was some sexy and sensual name to the tone), and the temptation he felt to taste that mouth on an everyday basis was somehow magnified about ten times.

Luckily for him she was looking in her purse as she walked so she didn't notice his near loss of air from the giant gulp of water he had taken just before she appeared. She was talking…what was she saying? He couldn't be quite sure, something about the car? Finally she looked up, expecting an answer, but the only thing he felt capable of doing in that moment was staring.

He blinked, attempted to get his mind in working order once again, and failed miserably. He took a breath as she looked at him expectantly for the answer to whatever bloody question it had been she'd asked him, and he just shook his head and let out a breath.

"Sorry, I didn't catch that." he told her honestly. "I'm afraid I was a bit distracted by this gorgeous vision who just walked into the kitchen." He smiled. "Regina, you look...stunning."

She smiled and looked down, a slight feeling of butterflies at his words. "Thank you." She looked him up and down and wow, he certainly cleaned up nicely. He'd chosen a grey suit with a black shirt and tie. His beard was freshly trimmed and she found herself wondering what it would feel like to run her hands over his strong jaw, or over the broad shoulders that laid beneath his jacket, and she kicked herself mentally. He's here for your security…this isn't a real date, she scolded herself, and had the sneaking suspicion that she wasn't listening to her own advice. "You're looking pretty nice yourself." And that was an understatement.

He shrugged. "I do what I can." He grinned when she laughed. "I'm sorry, you asked me a question?"

Did she? She tried to retrace her thoughts before she had looked up and seen him. "I…um, was just wondering if you wanted to take your car or mine."

"Makes no difference to me," he told her. "I'm happy to drive." Was he really going to have the honor of having this incredibly beautiful woman on his arm tonight? He would be the envy of the entire room.

She smiled. "Great. Ready to escort me to the party from hell?"

He grinned. "Considering I'm going to it with you on my arm I would say it's more like heaven."

She fought back a laugh and instead tilted her head to the side. "Has that line ever worked for you?"

He tried his most seductive smile "First time I've used it actually. You tell me."

She finally allowed that laugh. "Keep practicing."

"Forgive me, I'm a bit rusty." He held out his arm. "Shall we, milady?"

She grinned and took his arm. Robin had a way of making her feel beautiful that never felt like a line. She enjoyed being with him, not only because he was entertaining, but because he made her feel so blessedly normal. He didn't treat her like a victim, but an equal. He flirted and joked, and being in his presence nearly made her forget the reason he was here, and how she desperately longed to forget the reason he was here. Maybe this night wouldn't be nearly as horrible as she'd originally thought.

All of the usual people had indeed showed up this evening. She hadn't expected any less. In her experience, any chance the people in this room had an opportunity to get together with others and talk about themselves, they were up for it. The party was held outdoors. There was a large canopy set up, with a stage near the front where a DJ currently sat. Several round tables were placed in the tent and there were lights woven along the top of the canopy, which offered a soft romantic glow.

One thing she could say for her sister was she certainly knew how to throw a party. If only it were a party with different attendees.

Not that everyone here were horrible people. Actually there were some very lovely people that she liked a lot. Unfortunately the ones she despised always seemed to overshadow the ones she enjoyed. Especially because she seemed to be a magnet for assholes. Normally, she opted to come alone, but perhaps tonight with Robin on her arm it would discourage some of the more…unfavorable guests.

"Regina," she heard her named called, and had to fight not to roll her eyes when she turned.

"George," she said, and made it a point to hold tightly to Robin's arm. Speaking of unfavorable people, George was a pompous ass. He enjoyed money, and also enjoyed letting everyone know he had it. Since his wife died he showed up with a new girl every year, always at least half his age. His current companion was pretty, blonde and couldn't be more than twenty-two. He began to lean in to kiss her cheek but stopped when Regina extended her hand instead. He somewhat awkwardly stepped back to take it. "May I introduce you to my date?" She smiled. "Robin Locksley."

"Mr. Locksley." He offered Robin a toothy…and fake...smile. "George James, of James Farms."

"Pleasure." Robin moved his arm from Regina's for a moment to shake hands, and the man looked at him as if he should be impressed with the information he'd offered about what farm he had come from.

George waited a beat. "Perhaps you've heard of us?"

Robin shook his head as Regina took his arm again. "Sorry, I'm afraid I'm a bit new to," he gestured, "all of this."

"Ah" The man nodded and made a sound in his throat. "Well, we are quite well known, We've had several Derby runners the last three years."

Robin knew he should be impressed with this, and if he told the truth he was. It was a world renowned race that not many horses managed to make it into, but he found himself disliking the man at first glance. "Impressive. Any winners?"

George ground his teeth, and if Robin wasn't mistaken, he heard Regina attempt to choke down a laugh from beside him. "Not yet," George answered.

Robin gave him a show of teeth. "Perhaps this year then."

Regina cleared her throat. She had been right in thinking that with Robin on her arm she may actually be able to have a bit of fun tonight. "Sorry to cut this conversation short, but Robin, I just saw someone that I would love to introduce you too."

Robin turned to her with a smile, but spared one more glance for the man. "Nice to meet you, George."

The man simply nodded and walked away with the blonde on his arm that he never even bothered introducing.

Regina pulled Robin to a table where an older woman sat with a younger one who had red streaks in her hair. "Granny! Ruby!" Regina released his arm so she could round the table to greet the both women with a hug.

"Regina," the older woman smiled and kissed her cheek. "You just get prettier every time I see you."

Regina smiled. "You're biased," she smiled before she turned to hug Ruby, and then sat beside them, gesturing for Robin to join her. "Ladies, I would like you to meet my friend Robin Locksley. Robin, this is Eugenia and Ruby Johnson. They are two of the reasons I keep coming back to this party every year."

Both women studied him, the younger with a look of appreciation and the older with a more protective glare. "I'm not sure I can recall you bringing a date to this party, Regina, other than Daniel of course." Eugenia raised an eyebrow at the brunette. "This one must be something special."

Regina felt herself blush when Robin turned her way with a grin on his face. "Robin is a friend of mine. He's new in town." She cleared her throat. "I just thought it would be nice to have another friendly face here."

"Friendly and sexy," Ruby said under her breath earning herself a slap to the arm from her grandmother.

"What brings you to the area, Robin?" Eugenia asked.

"I'm working private security, thought this would be a nice place for a new start."

"Robin was a detective with the Boston PD," Regina explained.

"Aye, but it was time for a change, so my son and I moved here. Regina was kind enough to offer him riding lessons."

"How old is your son?" the older woman asked him.

"Roland," Robin answered. "He's four."

"Well, Regina did always have a soft spot for children."

Regina smiled at the woman and Robin could plainly see the affection in her eyes. He wondered just how these two ladies knew each other.

"You know what I have a soft spot for?" Ruby asked with a sigh. "Single men. Why are there never single men here?"

"Well," Regina drew out with a wry smile. "There is George."

Ruby let out a rather inventive explicative causing a loud laugh from Regina and Robin and a scoff from her grandmother.

"Old bastard doesn't even realize what a fool he looks with that young thing on his arm." Eugenia shook her head in disgust.

"Granny's not a fan of George," Ruby shared with Robin.

"Can't say I'm surprised by that," Robin grinned, and found he rather liked both of these women. "Eugenia, do you raise horses?"

"Since before you were born I would wager. I'm getting a little old for it all now I suppose."

"Nonsense," Regina said. "Daddy was a trainer for Granny in Ohio before he bought his own farm. I was practically raised at in her home."

"I've know this one since before she could walk," Eugenia gestured to Regina. "One of the most beautiful babies I had ever seen, and so very sweet."

Regina's lips turned up at the corners. "I doubt anyone would call me sweet now."

"People who know you would," Eugenia disagreed and looked at Robin. "This young lady has the biggest heart of anyone you will likely ever come across."

"So I've noticed," Robin said, quietly looking at Regina.

She shook her head and looked back at the older woman. "You're biased," she said again.

"Never could take a compliment." Granny tsked.

"Granny!" They heard from behind them and turned to see Mary Margaret rushing around the table. "I didn't see you arrive!" She hugged the woman then turned to Ruby to share a hug with her as well, and made her way around the table, placing a kiss to the top of Regina's head and rubbing Robin's shoulder. "I'm so glad you all could be here! I hope you're having fun!"

"You manage to out do yourself every year, darling," the older woman told her.

"Next year could you manage a few single men, though?" Ruby asked, causing Mary Margaret to laugh.

"Well…I did invite someone who is new to the industry this year. He's single and very good looking." Mary Margaret wagged her brows at Ruby with a laugh.

"God help us all," Granny muttered even as Ruby brightened considerably.

"There you are." Robin noticed Regina visibly stiffen at the new voice from behind them. "I was wondering where my daughters were off to when they couldn't greet their mother on her arrival."

"Mother." Mary Margaret's smile changed to something that seemed a bit more forced. "I didn't realize you were here."

"Well, I suppose not with the way this music is blaring," the woman scoffed.

The music was doing no such thing but it appeared Mary Margaret let the barb roll right off of her.

"Hello, Cora," Eugenia said, and the sound of her voice told Robin that this was yet another person she was not overly fond of.

"Eugenia." Cora nodded towards her, ignored Ruby completely and focused on Regina. "Regina dear, aren't you going to introduce me?" she said as she looked pointedly at Robin.

Regina cleared her throat, her heart hammering in her chest the way it always did when her mother was near. "Of course. Mother, this is my friend Robin Locksley. Robin, this is my mother, Cora Blanchard."

"Honored." Robin stood and offered his hand which Cora took while she looked him up and down.

"My daughter never mentioned she was seeing someone."

"Because I'm not," Regina answered in annoyance. "Robin is a friend who is new to the area."

"Hmm." was all Cora said before turning to Regina. "So tell me how your little rescue project is going?"

Regina ground her teeth. "Wonderful." she answered shortly.

"It's hardly a little project." Mary Margaret spoke up for her sister. "Regina has eight horses in her stables as we speak. She's managed to adopt out several and her riding therapy is going wonderfully." Mary Margaret took her sister's hand and squeezed. "I couldn't be prouder of her."

"Well…it just seems such a waste to me, someone with Regina's potential living all the way out here." Cora smiled as she said it, making the insult sound as if there was a compliment in there somewhere. "I see you are doing well though." She turned her attention to Mary Margaret then gestured to the party around them. "I'm glad you've managed to find something to fill your time."

Mary Margaret's shoulders seemed to slump a bit and Regina wrapped an arm around her sister in a show of support, and Robin was fascinated with how in tune these two women were with each other…and how supportive.

"It's a brilliant party." Regina said. "I'm amazed you had the opportunity to get it all done with everything else you do around here. I've never had a knack for this sort of thing."

"Of course," Cora smiled. "Now girls, there is someone the two of you must see." She turned to Robin. "If you'll excuse us for a moment."

Robin watched as the woman led her daughters off and heard Eugenia let out a noise of disgust. "Woman never has realized the treasure she has in her girls…It's a damn shame."

Robin kept his eye on Regina when she was lead to a grey haired man. He didn't like the way he looked at her…as if he were a predator circling his prey. He saw the man lay a hand on Regina's shoulder and could plainly see the touch made her uncomfortable. She tried to step away but the hand remained, rubbing slightly down her arm while he talked to her.

That was all it took for Robin to move from his seat. On his way to the group he grabbed a glass of champagne from a waiter who was walking by with a tray. He approached the group from the side where the man had his hand on Regina's arm, and smiled as reached Regina's shoulder and held out the drink, giving the man no choice but to move his hand from her arm. "You looked thirsty." Robin smiled at the thanks he saw come over her face.

"I was, thank you." She sipped and Robin planted himself firmly between the man and Regina. "Robin, this is Leopold King. Leopold, my date, Robin Locksley."

Robin didn't miss that this was the first time this evening he hadn't been introduced as her friend. "Nice you meet you." He held out a hand to the man who took it, perhaps a bit begrudgingly.

"You as well." The man nodded and apparently whatever it was he had been talking with Regina about no longer interested him as he went quiet.

"Regina," Robin turned to her. "I have to say the music is wonderful. Would you care to dance?"

She smiled fully. "I would love to," and took his offered arm. "It was good seeing you," she said insincerely to Leopold as she allowed Robin to lead her away.

"Thank you," she said softly as she walked with him to the dance floor.

"It was rather obvious you didn't wish to be in his company," he said when they arrived on the floor and he faced her. "It was the best way I could figure to remove ourselves." He smiled and placed a hand on her waist.

"It was brilliant, and I couldn't imagine a clearer way to say I'm not interested."

He smiled and pulled her closer. "Who in the hell was that man?"

Regina shook her head. "An asshole." She nodded toward the bar. "That's his wife sitting there…Eva. She's a miserable woman. I actually feel sorry for her."

"Well, for a man to shamelessly flirt at a party his own wife is attending, I should say so." He furrowed his brow as they danced slowly around the floor.

"He's had many affairs," Regina told him "But for now, I would like to stop talking about him and enjoy this dance." She smiled. "It's been quite a while since I have danced with someone."

"I thought you had no use for dancing." He grinned back at her.

"I had no use for dance competitions," she corrected. "That doesn't mean I don't enjoy an occasional spin around the floor...with the right partner."

"Ah." He took a chance and pulled her closer, her last comment making his heart beat faster. She went willingly and wrapped the arm that had rested on his shoulder around his neck. "So are my feet safe then?"

She laughed. "Probably."

* * *

They danced more than once. The one turned into two, and after a quick break for dinner she found herself back out on the floor with him. She liked this feeling. The feeling of being held close, of breathing him in. And he smelled so very good. It was a woodsy scent and Regina found that every time he pulled her close her heart rate picked up. She couldn't be sure if it was him or the fact that it had been a very long time since she'd been on a date, but as he sped up their steps and they both spun around the floor, Regina wrapped both arms around his neck to keep her balance, and then they were chest to chest, their faces very close, breathing the same air and yes…it was him.

They paused in their steps as they looked into each other's eyes, and Regina now doubted that this whole thing was only about her safety. She thought he felt this too, this...whatever this was. She wet her lips, causing his eyes to shift downward to look at them and…was he going to kiss her?

He took in another breath, watching her lips, and oh God he wanted to kiss her. He wanted to cover her mouth with his and discover the flavor of her mouth. He wanted to shift the hands that currently circled her waist to that perfect round ass. He wanted to rip her clothes off and taste every inch of her with his tongue.

What was he doing? This was the woman he was here to protect, this was the woman who had hired him to keep her safe, and here he was contemplating pulling her into a heated kiss right in the middle of a crowd full of people. He blinked and pulled himself back a bit. Was that disappointment in her eyes? It couldn't be. The last thing on her mind was getting into a relationship, especially a relationship with her private security. No, they had gotten caught up in a moment, that was all.

He'd pulled away. Perhaps she was mistaken at what she had seen in his eyes. Of course she was. This man was a professional. He certainly wasn't the kind to get involved with his employer. That would be crazy. He was doing his job. That was all and when that job was done he would move on to the next. She'd jokingly made The Bodyguard comparison in her head a few days ago, but that was not what this was. This wasn't a movie and they weren't likely to plunge into some hot love affair. This was real life and in real life, specifically her life, movie romance just wasn't in the cards for her.

She swallowed and attempted to find her balance. "I think maybe we should be going. I had a late night last night."

Robin tried not to feel disappointment. Of course she wanted to go. His obvious attraction to her had made her uncomfortable. Idiot! "Of course, yes." He agreed and tried to still his pounding heart.

They made their rounds, saying goodbye before Regina once again took his arm and they left the party together. Robin rounded the car to open the door for her, and as she was climbing in he noticed a movement in near the house. He paused and narrowed his eyes.

"What is it?" Regina asked as she noticed him go very still.

He handed her the keys. "Lock the door and do not get out of the car until I come back."

Regina looked in the direction he was looking and her heart rate picked up again for an entirely different reason. She did as he asked as Robin made his way to the spot where he had seen the movement. He found nothing…no one there except for a still lit cigarette butt. He pulled a handkerchief from his pocket and stubbed it out before picking it up. He looked around again, feeling the hair stand up on the back of his neck. He stood and looked around the corner. He was unwilling to get out of eyesight from Regina. He found a group of waiters standing in a group having a conversation.

"Excuse me," he said urgently. The group looked at him. "Did any of you see someone come through here?"

The group simultaneously shook their heads and Robin nodded. "Thank you."

It may have been a party guest having a smoke around the side of the house, of course that was a possibility, but Robin tended to trust his instincts. They would need to run prints. There was a very small chance her stalker could have prints on file…not likely, but possible. He wrapped the butt carefully before walking back to the car. He was here tonight. Robin was sure of it. He needed a full guest list and also needed to talk to Regina about some of the people he had noticed this evening.

Specifically Leopold, who made no secret of his interest in Regina. Robin had fully intended to question her about the man. He hadn't wanted to do it here where she was already struggling to feel comfortable, but had made a mental note to question her about several of the guests there in the morning.

When he reached the car door Regina unlocked it so he could climb in. "What was it?"

"Someone was there," Robin answered her. "This cigarette was still lit."

She furrowed her brow and swallowed, feeling uneasy. "Isn't it possible that it was just a party guest having taking a break?"

He nodded. "It's possible."

She licked her lips. "But you don't think so."

He looked back at her. "I tend to trust my instincts."

"You'll want to question me about the people who were here."

He nodded. "We can wait until morning if you would prefer, but I would also like a full guest list, including staff."

She nodded. "I'll call Mary Margaret in the morning."

He laid a hand over her fidgeting fingers. "It's going to be all right."

She nodded, took a breath. She had to believe that.

* * *

He'd nearly been spotted. He needed to be more careful now that this ex-detective was around. He'd thought himself well concealed in his spot, and he'd certainly been closer than that to her before without being spotted, but when he'd seen the detective go still he knew he needed to disappear. He'd slipped around the house, keeping out of sight of the waiters he'd seen talking.

He'd watched her through the evening. His blood had boiled when he's seen that man put his hands on his Regina. He'd bit his lip till it bled at the thought that she allowed him to be so close to her. His hands fisted at his sides as he rounded the house, keeping out of sight of the guests milling about. This man was dangerous. He couldn't allow him to steal her away. She was his. She needed to be reminded of that. He wouldn't allow her to betray him again. He would have to be vigilant, keep a close eye. He would not allow this man to become a problem.


	4. Chapter 4

It was bloody hot.

Mid-August in Louisville, Kentucky, Robin felt, was an actual nightmare. It was upper 90's, but with the humidity it felt more like 110. He'd already soaked through two shirts and was very near having to put on another. The air was thick, and he thought that walking into the small air-conditioned trailer and chugging a bottle of water might be one of the happiest moments of his life.

He knew he was exaggerating, but it could very well rank in the top twenty.

Despite the heat he was happy to be spending some time in the city. He missed it. Boston had been his home for so long. The sights and sounds were a comfort to him. They'd bypassed the downtown area driving in, and gone straight to the fairgrounds. He hadn't seen much as far as the actual city, but he hoped at some point during the week and half they would be spending here he would have the opportunity to explore a bit and see some of the culture.

He'd always enjoyed traveling to other places. Checking out the places the locals frequented, and wandering around, taking in the sights, colors and sounds, sampling local foods and seeing all the tourist destinations, were all things he enjoyed. Since coming to the US he'd managed to check out many cities up north, but had rarely made his way south. He had to admit he was excited to see what many called the 'horse racing capital of the world."

The only thought on his mind now though was to cool off and rehydrate.

Regina was all nerves. This was her first time coming to the state fair and she wanted everything to go perfectly. Anna accompanied them on the trip to help out at the booth and relieve Regina at times. The boys stayed behind with Mary Margaret, but she planned to bring them up on the weekend after school let out. She and David had a horse in one of the shows that would be taking place Saturday evening, and she also wanted to help out with the rescue so Regina would have time with Henry while he was there.

Robin had been trying to help out since they had arrived, but Regina and Anna worked together like a well-oiled machine and he'd found that he was more in the way than anything else.

Which was just as well. He'd tried to avoid getting as close to her as they had been at the party Saturday evening. Not that he didn't want to be close to her; he wanted very much to be close to her…which was exactly the problem.

As long as he was distracted by his attraction to Regina he would not be on his A game, and he needed to be on his A game; for her sake he had to be.

With everything that had been going on over the week it hadn't been hard to avoid being alone with her. She had been busy and distracted and he had managed to get a bit of work done. He'd gotten a hold of an old contact in Boston who put him in touch with a laboratory to have prints and DNA run on the cigarette. There hadn't been prints left behind, which didn't surprise him. There had been no prints left after Regina's attack either, but the tech at the lab was hopeful that they could pull a DNA profile. It was just going to take much longer then he would like.

The advantage to him being in the way meant that it gave him the opportunity to look over the details of her case. He sat and pulled out the file that he had made a habit of keeping with him. He looked over it daily hoping to find that one detail that was missing that would pull the whole puzzle together.

He couldn't be sure until DNA was run, but he suspected this man could have had previous run-ins with others, possibly other stalking cases perhaps. One didn't escalate to what he did to Regina overnight. If there had been any previous crimes they might be able to get a match through CODIS.

It was their best hope at the moment. He had questioned Regina extensively on the attendees at the party over the weekend. His number one suspect at the moment was Leopold King, who had apparently been interested in Regina for a quite a while.

He'd offered her a job when she was in college that she had taken for extra spending money. It hadn't lasted very long, however, as he'd propositioned her to be more than an employee. Regina told him he'd always made her a bit uncomfortable, but when he'd made advances and flat out asked her to be his mistress, she'd quit immediately.

Although the man seemed to be a likely candidate, there were still problems. He did have a wife, and he was fairly busy. He rarely had reason to visit Lexington or the surrounding areas, which meant he may not have had the opportunity, but that didn't mean he didn't make the opportunity. However, he was older and not quite in shape, and all the trekking previously and then in the woods behind Regina's current home would be near-impossible for a man in the shape Leopold was. And Robin also felt that this was the kind of man that didn't need to stalk. Hell, he'd openly propositioned Regina! Robin had the sense that if he was rejected, Leopold's ego was such that he would blame it on the woman's lack of sense rather than a rejection. He couldn't dismiss him out of hand, but Robin's gut told him that Leopold wasn't their man.

Robin sighed. He might now have a suspect, if not the most viable one, but he still wasn't much closer than he had been a few days ago. He let out a breath and downed the rest of the water before glancing around to really take in his surroundings for the first time.

The living quarters of the trailer were cramped. There was a queen sized bed in the front, a small fold out couch, and a dinette that also doubled as a bed. The plan was for him and Regina to stay in the trailer during the week while Anna stayed in a hotel. On the weekend when the boys were in they would switch out with Anna and have adjoining rooms at a nearby hotel. He swallowed when he realized just how close he and Regina would be to each other over the next several days.

So much for avoiding being alone together.

"Bloody hell," he muttered as he stood and walked to the fridge to take out another bottle of water, suddenly wishing he had something a bit stronger. Somehow over the last few weeks he couldn't seem to manage getting Regina Mills off his mind.

He took another sip as the door opened and in waked in the woman who seemed to occupy his every thought…in a tank top…and sweaty. He licked his lips as his mouth watered.

"It's like hell out there," she said and walked to him, snatching the bottle from his hand, causing a small grin to come over his face, then drank down half of it.

Pure lust settled in his stomach. How did she make drinking water sexy? He cleared his throat. "Everything set up?" he asked, already reaching in the fridge for yet another water since she'd stolen his.

"Mmmhmm." She held the cold bottle to her neck and he imagined licking just there down her neck and ending at the top of her shirt…no not ending there, but allowing his tongue to dip just under it, tasting the skin beneath. It would be slightly salty from her sweat, and her lips would be sweet. He could make her sweat for a whole other reason than being outside doing physical work.

Fuck, he should not be having the thoughts he was currently having! She's your employer, Robin, you're here to protect her! Don't fuck this up! His libido gave way under his reasoning, but only grudgingly.

"I need a shower and a really cold beer," she said after downing the rest of the water.

And now he was imagining her in the shower. He grimaced and opened his own bottle of water considering pouring it over his head. What in the hell was wrong with him? "Beer sounds amazing," he said with his voice sounding considerably more gravelly then it had before as he fought off the images of her wet and naked that attempted to invade his mind.

"Anna was going to the hotel to shower and get a bite to eat," she told him. "When she gets back what do you say we go dig up some dinner and cold beer?"

He nodded, heart pounding. "Best idea I've heard all day. I'm starving."

"Good" she smiled. "Mind if I go first?"

He furrowed a brow and found himself at a loss for words. Gods he needed to pull himself together. "First?"

She gestured to the back of the trailer. "The shower?" Then tilted her head in concern. "Are you feeling ok?"

"Me? Yeah, just hot and hungry," and oh, how true that statement was. He wisely kept his mouth shut on the topic of just what he was hungry for. He moved so she could walk past him. "Be my guest."

She smiled and squeezed past him. How in the hell was he going to survive this next week?

* * *

She'd chosen a local place, Holy Grale, which she told him had a huge variety of craft beers to choose from and the best burgers in the city. They'd found parking on the road close to the restaurant and walked side by side down the sidewalk.

"This is one of my favorite parts of the city," she told him as they waited to cross. "Daniel and I used to come here often when we were in college, it's known as The Highlands." Robin glanced around at the old colorful buildings along the street and couldn't help but be amused when a car passed sporting a bumper sticker that read "Keep Louisville Weird."

"I love the city," he told her. "I always have, since I was a boy and my mother and I would go to visit her family in London. It's so exciting and full of life."

"I enjoyed it when I was younger, but I also like being on the farm. I like the space and the privacy, and if I ever miss city life we are close enough to Lexington that I can take the day to go and get my fill."

His lips turned up at the corner. "The best of both worlds."

She smiled in answer. "I don't see why I should have to choose."

"You shouldn't," he said, smiling. "A woman like you should have absolutely everything she wants out of life."

She smiled and attempted to keep herself from blushing. She'd been staring at him all day and trying to pretend she wasn't. It had been a relief when he'd finally gone into the trailer so she could get some work done without being distracted every two minutes. She hadn't been able to get him off her mind since their non-date Saturday night. It had been so long since she'd been held close to someone, so long since someone had made her breath catch and her heart rate increase. It was too bad he was here as her employee. He was a professional. He would never harbor those same feelings for her. She couldn't help but wish they had met under other circumstances. Would he be attracted to her?

She gestured at the building. "This is it."

"This?" He looked up and furrowed his brow. "This looks like a church."

She smiled. "Used to be," she said as she took his arm and led him to the door. He took in the surroundings as they walked in. Old wood, stained glass, and picnic tables lined the lower level and there was a large bar on the far wall. Regina smiled at the hostess when she walked up to seat them. "Could we sit in the choir loft, please?" The girl nodded and led them upstairs to an area that was a bit more secluded. The tables were small and sat only two, and each had a small candle lit in the middle. There was a smaller bar up here and a stained glass window that sat just above it.

"This place is fantastic," Robin told her.

"Wait until you try the food." She smiled at him. "And the beer list is amazing, literally anything you want."

"I'm starving." He smiled and picked up the menu. "Any suggestions?"

"Everything's good, but I can never pass up the burger. Sometimes you just need a good burger and theirs is the best. Everything here is fresh from local farms, though, you really can't go wrong with whatever you choose."

Robin looked over the menu but in the end decided to go with Regina's suggestion. After the food and drinks were ordered he looked up and met her eyes. She was breathtaking in this light. The colored light coming in from the stained glass and the candle light from the table set her skin aglow. She'd worn jeans with a silky purple tank top and her hair was down curling softly around her gorgeous face. Gods, he could just stare at her for hours.

She smiled at him as he looked at her and it was moments like this she thought maybe she wasn't crazy after all. Maybe he was just as attracted as she.

"Do you come to the fair every year?" he asked.

She nodded. "Yes, although this will certainly be my longest stay. Normally I come to see Mary Margaret and David's horses in the show." She let out a breath, feeling her nerves kick up again. "I'm just hoping tomorrow goes well."

He reached across the table and squeezed her hand. "It's going to be great, Regina. The booth looks fantastic and I think Pebbles is going to eat up all the attention."

She smiled. "He is a show off," she admitted, and she nodded. "Just with this being the first year…I want everything to be perfect."

"It will be."

"What if we run out of t-shirts or hoodies?" She worried her lip with her teeth, and Robin couldn't help wanting to replace her teeth on her lips with his mouth. "I still think we should have brought more, and the buffet on Sunday, what if we didn't order enough food?"

"Well, if you run out of shirts, then that would mean you've raised enough money to run out of shirts, which correct me if I'm wrong, but that would be a good thing, yeah?"

She continued to worry her lip. "I guess."

"And you could always take orders if you run out of sizes," he reminded her.

"Right."

"Mary Margaret planned the buffet fundraiser and you're the one who has been telling me for a week that she's brilliant at these things and they always turn out perfect."

She nodded. "She is." She let out a breath. "This is just the biggest fundraiser we've ever attempted to do. It could make a huge difference for the farm. I just hope it turns out to be worth it."

"It will." He rubbed his thumb over her hand. "I have no doubt that this will be an amazing event."

She allowed a small smile. "I'm glad one of us is sure."

"Let's talk about something else, get your mind of worrying," he suggested. "Tell me about your years at university."

She shrugged. "I think they were pretty typical."

He grinned. "Lots of frat parties?"

"Ah," she laughed. "I was never one for parties really."

He smiled. "So no wild university moments for you?"

"I wouldn't go that far," she said as she smiled from under her lashes, a coy look in her eyes, and he was suddenly painfully aware that he still had his hand on hers.

He cleared his throat and pulled his hand back. "So you do have a bit of a wild streak."

"Had," she clarified. "I think it's passed now." She tilted her head. "We talk about me all the time…How about we talk about you?"

He smiled. "What would you like to know?"

She raised an eyebrow. "Tell me about your wild college days."

"Sorry to disappoint, but I skipped over my wild days…being in charge of my fourteen-year-old sister and all."

She pulled her bottom lip between her teeth and he wished that he was the one biting it. "Right," she remembered. "So I guess you have always been the responsible one."

He shrugged. "Since I came to this country, I guess I have. I was a bit wild when I lived in England. I rather enjoyed doing all the things my father told me not to, but once I moved here, I was sort of forced to grow up."

"It's really amazing that you were willing to do that, take in your sister when you were so young."

He shrugged and picked up his beer for a sip as the waiter showed up with their food. "Not really, and the fact is if I hadn't, I wouldn't have her, and I suppose that's just a life I can't imagine." He smiled. "We became each other's rocks, the person we always know we can turn to." His eyes looked haunted for a moment, but it passed nearly as quickly. "When I was shot she dropped everything and came home. She stayed for two months. I kept telling her to leave, to go live her life and get on with what she loved, but she's quite possibly the most pig-headed person on the planet. Told me she would leave when she was damn well good and ready and to stop being such a pain in the ass and just let her help." He grinned at the memory. "We love each other dearly."

Regina laughed. "I can tell."

Robin picked up his burger and took a bite and had to fight the groan of pleasure that wanted to escape. "This is incredible," he said after swallowing.

"I told you."

They talked small talk through the rest of the meal. They talked of the boys, Roland's antics in trying to convince them he could miss school for the week so he could come help at the fair, Henry attempting the same thing a few hours later. They talked of the farm and horses and laughed over his last lesson with the ATV.

He could honestly say that he enjoyed every minute spent with her. He hadn't enjoyed someone like this in years and it only intensified his problem of trying not to get too close to her. When dinner was over they both somewhat reluctantly agreed they should probably be heading back. When they stood and she swayed a bit Robin took her arm and asked for the keys. She'd been drinking a fairly strong brew and had a few. Robin suspected she wasn't a particularly heavy drinker with the possible exception of when she was feeling extremely stressed. She handed him the keys gladly and took his arm as he led her down the street back to the car.

"It's a beautiful night," she sighed as she took in the lights around her. The street wasn't busy as it would be on a weekend. There wasn't a lot going on, however, on a Wednesday evening.

"It is," he agreed, but he was only looking at her.

She didn't seem to notice as she continued to take in the sights and sounds around her. She did miss it here sometimes. She missed the time she spent here with Daniel. It wasn't as painful as it used to be to come here. She had so many wonderful memories of this city. They'd made a family here and that was something that brought a smile to her face. She felt good tonight. She wasn't drunk but pleasantly buzzed and she was glad she'd had a bit of distraction before her day tomorrow.

She gave Robin directions on the ride back to the fairgrounds, and got them turned around once which had Robin laughing and threatening to pull out his GPS which he claimed to never do.

When they finally found their way back to the trailer and relieved Anna she was feeling light and happy. It had been a while since she'd felt that as well. They attempted to move around each other in their bed time routines, the small trailer leaving little room for such things. By the time Robin managed to make up the dinette into his bed, Regina had emerged from the bathroom in simple cotton shorts and a tank top and again, as it always did these days around her, his heart rate increased.

Oh my God. Regina licked her lips. He stood in front of her in pajama pants and no shirt, and finally, after all this time, she was treated to the magnificent chest that hid under his clothes. Perhaps it was the beer making her horny but she feasted on him with her eyes and wanted to touch, and as her gaze made its way lower she had the very strong desire to run her tongue along the V that disappeared into his pants. She swallowed. It had been some time since she'd been hit with such overwhelming lust for someone.

"Are you sure you will comfortable on that thing?" she asked and her voice was husky.

Robin bit the inside of his lip. "I'll be fine." He would much rather be in the big bed with her making her gasp his name.

She nodded. "Ok," and sucked her bottom lip between her teeth. "Thank you for tonight."

She really needed to stop doing that with her lip; he actually thought he might explode. "For what?" He allowed a small grin. "Being the designated driver?"

She allowed a laugh and shook her head, taking a step closer. "For all of it." she told him. "Distracting me, helping me relax," another step and they were close enough to touch now. "You have a way about you that makes me forget all my problems and just…"

He swallowed. She was too close. "Find your chill?" He tried to lighten the moment.

She smiled then laughed. "Yes, you help me find my chill." She was feeling brave…probably the alcohol and she moved forward and let her arms slide around his waist.

Oh fuck, oh fuck fuck fuck. His heart pounded as she rested her head against his chest and he couldn't stop himself from bringing his arms around her. His hand tangled into her hair as her head rested against his chest and all that lust suddenly turned softer and he just wanted to cradle her against him, hold on forever. He wanted to carry her to bed and make love to her slowly, never looking away from those deep chocolate eyes.

Her mouth was dry and this felt so good, to just be cradled against him. He smelled wonderful and his skin was so smooth beneath her cheek. Ordinarily she would never allow herself to be this vulnerable, but there was something about him that made her want, something that made her long to just be with him and she wasn't sure what to do with all of this, but in this moment she wanted him to kiss her more than anything in the world. She pulled back and looked up at him and their faces were a breath apart. Maybe just for tonight she could be his, maybe they could just take this moment.

He looked at her lips, licked his and looked back to her eyes. "We've a long day tomorrow…we should probably be getting some sleep."

"Robin…" Was that her voice? It was raspy and needy and she wasn't sure what the hell had gotten into her.

She did want this…it wasn't just him as he'd been trying to convince himself the last several days. She wanted it to, but… "You've had a bit to drink, love."

"I'm not drunk," she protested, and she was looking at his lips, and Robin had to pray for strength.

"But your inhibitions are less than they would be," he answered and leaned in to press his lips to her forehead and lingered there with his lips against her warm skin. When he finally pulled back he noted disappointment in her eyes. "It isn't that I don't want to Regina…trust me. You're all I seem to be able to think about, but…this is something…you're my employer and this would complicate things immensely."

She swallowed and nodded, pulled back, feeling deflated. Disappointment flooded into her heart. Of course the first man she'd had a true interest in since Daniel would be honorable…and sensible. "Goodnight, Robin."

He wanted to reach for her…tell her he was an idiot, screw what was proper and professional and kiss her senseless, but he let her go. "Goodnight, Regina."

He watched as she pulled the curtain that separated the bed from the living area of the trailer then sat down on his bed. He put his head in his hands and tried to tell himself that he was doing the right thing, that it wouldn't have been fair to take advantage of her loosened inhibitions, that should he actually try to pursue whatever it was between them, it needed to be with clear heads. But the last thing he did before falling asleep was to call himself every kind of fool.

* * *

It was cold…too cold. He tried to move but couldn't seem to sit up from his position. His shoulder throbbed, his ears were ringing and somewhere in the distance he thought there was screaming.

But he couldn't be sure.

He grunted and tried to shift from his side to his back. It took a few tries. His arm was useless. Why couldn't he move it?

His head pounded. Had he hit it on something? This time he did hear the screaming. Someone was in trouble…someone needed help. He tried to shift again and this time used all his strength and the weight of his body to flop over onto his back, causing a horrible shooting pain to radiate through his shoulder. He moved his head to the left and was filled with absolute horror.

He swallowed. "Will?"

There was blood, so much blood. It looked darker than it should, nearly black against the pavement.

"Will!" His voice broke on the word and adrenaline rushed through him. He ignored the searing pain as he pushed himself over giving a loud groan as he now faced his partner…his friend.

There was blood coming from his neck…so much blood, bright, bright red in contrast to the dark, heavy blood on the ground, and his friend was gasping for air. He reached for the radio that was strapped to his shoulder and shouted into it, "Officer down!" before releasing the button and reaching for the wound on his neck. He had to stop the bleeding. "They're coming Will, they're coming…just hold on."

Will took a shaky breath and tried to say something.

Robin tried with what strength he had to press down on the wound. "Don't talk, brother, they're coming. We're going to get you help."

Will grasped his arm and squeezed. "Ana…" He got out.

Robin let out a loud moan as he pushed himself up and was nearly taken by a wave of dizziness. "Will, the ambulance is on its way…stay with me, brother. They're coming. We're going to get you home to Ana and your little Brie very soon."

"Tell her…tell them both…" He gasped and coughed.

"No!" Robin said with force. "You're going to tell them! Don't you dare give up on me!"

"Robin…" It was a whisper now and Will was grasping his arm, finding his hand and gripping. "Tell them…I love them." and there were tears now, Will's and his own. No, no, no, this couldn't be happening. He tightened his grip on Will's hand.

"God, no, Will!"

"Robin," a tender voice soothed as a soft warm hand landed on his shoulder. "Robin."

He gasped and shot up in the bed, covered in sweat and with hot tears still rolling down his face.

Regina let her hand drop from his shoulder the moment he came awake. Having had her own experience with dreams of this nature, she knew that touching was not always welcome. But his grip on her hand was fierce, and she didn't bother to try and pull away.

"You were dreaming," she said simply, in a matter of fact tone, also knowing that softness now would only confuse. He needed to know he was here and now, not in whatever past event he'd been dreaming of. She'd awoken to his agonizing calls to his partner.

He blinked, searched the shadows of the room to find Regina sitting on his bed looking at him with concern in her eyes. He took a breath as she turned and picked up a bottle of water that she'd grabbed from the fridge before reaching him. She opened it, held it out to him and he took it. He licked his lips and tipped it back for a quick drink. He took a few calming breaths before looking back up to her. "I'm sorry I woke you."

She shook her head. "Don't apologize." She gently squeezed his hand, and it was only then that Robin realized he'd been holding it. He looked down in surprise, but he couldn't make himself let go, and thankfully Regina wasn't trying to pull away. "Those kind of dreams are not something that go away easily…and it's certainly not something that can be helped."

He swallowed and looked back up to her. It had been a while since he'd had one. "But they do go away?" he asked hopefully.

She smiled a little sadly at him and shook her head. "I'll let you know."

"You still get them?" He asked, taking another drink.

"Not as often as I used to. At first I had them all the time. I thought I would see him in my dreams every night for the rest of my life, but they come less and less now."

"I'm sorry." This time he squeezed her hand.

She pursed her lips and looked down at his fingers twined in hers. "So am I." She gave him a soft smile, and he smiled back and gently let her hand go. She tried not to let the sudden loss of warmth bother her.

"Did you always deal with them alone?"

She laughed now and shook her head. "No, when we first moved back to the farm we stayed with David and Mary Margaret while our home was being built." She smiled at the memory. "I'm fairly certain she put the baby monitor in my bedroom."

Robin laughed at that. "Sounds like something Emma would have done if we'd had a baby monitor."

She bit her lip. "Every time I would get one she would wake me up. She never made me feel pitied or like a victim, she just sat up with me. Sometimes we would talk, sometimes she would hold my hand until I fell back asleep, but she was always just…there."

"Emma was the same when mine started, honestly I think the dreams were the main reason she was reluctant to leave."

Regina smiled. "It looks like we both lucked out in the sister department."

"Indeed." He agreed. His heart was still racing and he had no doubt when he laid his head back down on the pillow the only thing he would see was his partner bleeding out on the sidewalk. He looked up when Regina gripped his hand again.

"I'll stay until you fall asleep," she told him softly.

"You don't have to do that." He shook his head. "I'm fine and you have a very long day tomorrow."

She shrugged. "I'm already awake." She urged him to lay down, then laid on the edge of the bed beside him. "Close your eyes." she said softly. He sighed and did, his hand warm and strong around hers, and with her soft breathing next to him and her sweet scent in his nose, he let himself go back to sleep. Just as he drifted off, he promised himself that he would clear things up with her in the morning, because at that moment he'd had the profound realization that employer or not, Regina Mills was exactly who he wanted and needed in his life.


End file.
